[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cpr/ceprdp/15443.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Institutions and the uneven geography of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés
  • Burlina, Chiara
Abstract
This paper examines the uneven geography of COVID-19-related excess mortality during the first wave of the pandemic in Europe, before assessing the factors behind the geographical differences in impact. The analysis of 206 regions across 23 European countries reveals a distinct COVID-19 geography. Excess deaths were concentrated in a limited number of regions —expected deaths exceeded 20% in just 16 regions— with more than 40% of the regions considered experiencing no excess mortality during the first six months of 2020. Highly connected regions, in colder and dryer climates, with high air pollution levels, and relatively poorly endowed health systems witnessed the highest incidence of excess mortality. Institutional factors also played an important role. The first wave hit regions with a combination of weak and declining formal institutional quality and fragile informal institutions hardest. Low and declining national government effectiveness, together with a limited capacity to reach out across societal divides, and a frequent tendency to meet with friends and family were powerful drivers of regional excess mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Burlina, Chiara, 2020. "Institutions and the uneven geography of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," CEPR Discussion Papers 15443, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15443
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://cepr.org/publications/DP15443
    Download Restriction: CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose & Chiara Burlina, 2021. "Institutions and the uneven geography of the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 728-752, September.
    2. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Tobias Ketterer, 2020. "Institutional change and the development of lagging regions in Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 974-986, July.
    3. Ilya Kashnitsky & Joop De Beer & Leo Van Wissen, 2021. "Unequally ageing regions of Europe: Exploring the role of urbanization," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 75(2), pages 221-237, May.
    4. Pierre-Philippe Combes & Gilles Duranton & Laurent Gobillon, 2011. "The identification of agglomeration economies," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 253-266, March.
    5. Patrizio Vanella & Ugofilippo Basellini & Berit Lange, 2020. "Assessing Excess Mortality in Times of Pandemics Based on Principal Component Analysis of Weekly Mortality Data -- The Case of COVID-19," Working Papers axbhmxrs-o0viyh9z07m, French Institute for Demographic Studies.
    6. Richard Florida & Charlotta Mellander, 2022. "The geography of COVID-19 in Sweden," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(1), pages 125-150, February.
    7. Ash Amin, 1999. "An Institutionalist Perspective on Regional Economic Development," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 365-378, June.
    8. Andrea Ascani & Alessandra Faggian & Sandro Montresor, 2021. "The geography of COVID‐19 and the structure of local economies: The case of Italy," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 407-441, March.
    9. Elgar, Frank J. & Stefaniak, Anna & Wohl, Michael J.A., 2020. "The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    10. Nicholas Charron & Victor Lapuente & Paola Annoni, 2019. "Measuring quality of government in EU regions across space and time," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(5), pages 1925-1953, October.
    11. Nikos Kapitsinis, 2020. "The underlying factors of the COVID‐19 spatially uneven spread. Initial evidence from regions in nine EU countries," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(6), pages 1027-1045, December.
    12. Nicholas Charron & Lewis Dijkstra & Victor Lapuente, 2014. "Regional Governance Matters: Quality of Government within European Union Member States," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(1), pages 68-90, January.
    13. da Silva, Ramon Gomes & Ribeiro, Matheus Henrique Dal Molin & Mariani, Viviana Cocco & Coelho, Leandro dos Santos, 2020. "Forecasting Brazilian and American COVID-19 cases based on artificial intelligence coupled with climatic exogenous variables," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    14. Shima Hamidi & Sadegh Sabouri & Reid Ewing, 2020. "Does Density Aggravate the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 86(4), pages 495-509, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Javier Barbero & Ernesto Rodríguez-Crespo, 2022. "Technological, institutional, and geographical peripheries: regional development and risk of poverty in the European regions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 69(2), pages 311-332, October.
    2. Jonathan Muringani & Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2024. "Political trust and economic development in European regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2435, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2024.
    3. Jonathan Muringani, 2022. "Trust as a catalyst for regional growth in a decentralized Europe: The interplay between informal and formal institutions in driving economic growth," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(5), pages 1229-1249, November.
    4. Jonathan Muringani & Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2024. "Political trust and economic development in European regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2435, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2024.
    5. Sara Amoroso & Benedikt Herrmann & Alexander S. Kritikos, 2023. "The Role of Regulation and Regional Government Quality for High Growth Firms: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2053, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Vinko Muštra, 2022. "The economic returns of decentralisation: Government quality and the role of space," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(8), pages 1604-1622, November.
    7. Javier Barbero & Martin Christensen & Andrea Conte & Patrizio Lecca & Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose & Simone Salotti, 2023. "Improving Government Quality in the Regions of the EU and its System‐Wide Benefits for Cohesion Policy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 38-57, January.
    8. Chiara Burlina & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2023. "Alone and lonely. The economic cost of solitude for regions in Europe," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 2067-2087, November.
    9. Chiara Burlina & Alessandro Crociata & Iacopo Odoardi, 2021. "Can culture save young Italians? The role of cultural capital on Italian NEETs behaviour," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(3), pages 943-969, October.
    10. Tiganasu, Ramona & Lupu, Dan, 2023. "Institutional quality and digitalization: Drivers in accessing European funds at regional level?," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Nicholas Charron & Victor Lapuente & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2022. "Uncooperative Society, Uncooperative Politics or Both? Trust, Polarisation, Populism and COVID-19 Deaths across European regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2204, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2022.
    12. Paolo Di Caro & Ugo Fratesi, 2022. "One policy, different effects: Estimating the region‐specific impacts of EU cohesion policy," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 307-330, January.
    13. Eleonora Cutrini, 2023. "Postcrisis recovery in the regions of Europe: Does institutional quality matter?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 5-29, January.
    14. Amoroso, Sara & Herrmann, Benedikt & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2023. "The Role of Regulation and Regional Government Quality for High Growth Firms: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," IZA Discussion Papers 16563, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Sara Amoroso & Benedikt Herrmann & Alexander S. Kritikos, 2023. "The Role of Regulation and Regional Government Quality for High Growth Firms: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," CEPA Discussion Papers 71, Center for Economic Policy Analysis.
    16. Alfano, Vincenzo, 2024. "Unlocking the importance of perceived governance: The impact on COVID-19 in NUTS-2 European regions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 343(C).
    17. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ganau, 2022. "Institutions and the productivity challenge for European regions," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(1), pages 1-25.
    18. Mehmet Ronael & Tüzin Baycan, 2022. "Place-based factors affecting COVID-19 incidences in Turkey," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 1053-1086, October.
    19. Richard Florida & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2023. "Critical Commentary: Cities in a post-COVID world," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(8), pages 1509-1531, June.
    20. Peiró-Palomino, Jesús & Perugini, Francesco, 2022. "Regional innovation disparities in Italy: The role of governance," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(4).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19; Pandemic; Institutions; Regions; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15443. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cepr.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.