Urbanization and mortality decline

Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay () and Elliott D. Green

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: We investigate the relationship between mortality decline and urbanization, which has hitherto been proposed by demographers but has yet to be tested rigorously in a global context. Using cross-national panel data we find evidence of a robust negative correlation between crude death rates and urbanization. The use of instrumental variables suggest that this relationship is causal, while historical data from the early 20th century suggests that this relationship holds in earlier periods as well. Finally, we find robust evidence that mortality decline is correlated with urbanization through the creation of new cities rather than promoting urban growth in already-extant cities.

Keywords: Urbanization; Mortality Decline; Economic Development; Structural Change; Demographic Transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-03-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gro, nep-his and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published in Journal of Regional Science, 1, March, 2018, 58(2), pp. 483-503. ISSN: 0022-4146

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/85897/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Urbanization and mortality decline (2018)
Working Paper: Urbanization and Mortality Decline (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:85897

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