The Causal Effect of an Income Shock on Children’s Human Capital

Cristina Borra, Ana Costa-Ramon, Libertad Gonzalez and Almudena Sevilla ()

No 1272, Working Papers from Barcelona School of Economics

Abstract: We investigate the causal impact of a generous unconditional cash transfer at birth on children's later health outcomes and academic performance. Using rich administrative data, we take advantage of the unexpected introduction of a “baby bonus” in Spain in 2007, and implement a difference-in-discontinuity approach comparing children born in the surrounding months in different years. We find that the subsidy did not have a significant effect on health outcomes during childhood, nor on test scores in primary school. In line with this result, we show that the benefit did not affect the main potential mechanisms that could in turn have affected children’s health and academic performance. Our results contribute to understanding which interventions are effective at improving children's health and human capital formation.

Keywords: children; health; education; income shock; Child benefit; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H24 H31 I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-hea and nep-lam
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The causal effect of an income shock on children’s human capital (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bge:wpaper:1272

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