Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy

Richard Franke ()

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: The paper provides a detailed analysis of excess mortality during the "Spanish Flu" in a developing German economy and the effect of poverty and air pollution on pandemic mortality. The empirical analysis is based on a difference-in-differences approach using annual all-cause mortality statistics at the parish level in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The paper complements the existing literature on urban pandemic severity with comprehensive evidence from mostly rural parishes. The results show that middle and high-income parishes had a significantly lower increase in mortality rates than low-income parishes. Moreover, the mortality rate during the 1918 influenza pandemic was significantly higher in highly polluted parishes compared to least polluted parishes.

Keywords: Pandemics; Spanish Flu; Income; Air Pollution; Mortality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I15 N34 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-hea and nep-his
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Journal Article: Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:107570

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