On the Family Origins of Human Capital Formation: Evidence from Donor Children

Petter Lundborg, Erik Plug () and Astrid Würtz Rasmussen ()
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Erik Plug: University of Amsterdam
Astrid Würtz Rasmussen: Aarhus University

No 14708, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We introduce a novel strategy to study the intergenerational transmission of human capital, net of genetic skill transfers. For this purpose, we use unique data on children conceived through sperm and egg donation in IVF treatments in Denmark. Because the assignment of donors is not selective, the intergenerational human capital estimates allow for a causal nurture interpretation. Once we take account of genes, we find that only the education of mothers matters: the association between mother's education and child test scores is significant and large, whereas the association between father's education and child test scores is insignificant and practically zero.

Keywords: human capital; intergenerational mobility; donor children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50 pages
Date: 2021-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-edu, nep-eur and nep-isf
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published - published online in: Review of Economic Studies , 05 December 2024

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