Death and Development

Peter Lorentzen, John McMillan and Romain Wacziarg

No 11620, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Analyzing a variety of cross-national and sub-national data, we argue that high adult mortality reduces economic growth by shortening time horizons. Higher adult mortality is associated with increased levels of risky behavior, higher fertility, and lower investment in physical and human capital. Furthermore, the feedback effect from economic prosperity to better health care implies that mortality could be the source of a poverty trap. In our regressions, adult mortality explains almost all of Africa's growth tragedy. Our analysis also underscores grim forecasts of the long-run economic costs of the ongoing AIDS epidemic.

JEL-codes: I10 J10 O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-hea
Note: EFG IFM
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (44)

Published as Peter Lorentzen & John McMillan & Romain Wacziarg, 2008. "Death and development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 81-124, June.

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Journal Article: Death and development (2008)
Working Paper: Death and Development (2006)
Working Paper: Death and Development (2005)
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