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Gold mining and education: a long-run resource curse in Africa?

Author

Listed:
  • Ahlerup, Pelle

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

  • Baskaran, Thushyanthan

    (University of Siegen)

  • Bigsten, Arne

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract
We provide micro-level evidence on an important channel through which mineral resources may adversely affect development in the long-run: lower educational attainment. Combining Afrobarometer survey data with geocoded data on the discovery and shutdown dates of of gold mines, we show that respondents who had a gold mine within their district when they were in adolescence have significantly lower educational attainment. These results are robust to the omission of individual countries, different definitions of adulthood, the use of alternative data from the Development and Health Surveys (DHS), and buffer-based approaches to define neighborhood. Regarding mechanisms, we conclude that the educational costs of mines are likely due to households making myopic educational decisions when employment in gold mining is an alternative. We explore and rule out competing mechanism such as endogenous migration, a lower provision of public goods by the government, and a higher propensity for violent conflicts in gold mining districts.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahlerup, Pelle & Baskaran, Thushyanthan & Bigsten, Arne, 2016. "Gold mining and education: a long-run resource curse in Africa?," Working Papers in Economics 666, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0666
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/44642
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    3. Odmaa Narantungalag,, 2022. "The effects of natural resource extraction on household expenditure patterns: Evidence from Mongolia," Discussion Papers 2204, School of Economics and Finance, Massey University, New Zealand.
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    5. Bonilla Mejía, Leonardo, 2020. "Mining and human capital accumulation: Evidence from the Colombian gold rush," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
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    7. Ishak, Phoebe W. & Gradstein, Mark, 2021. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Persistent Income Shocks on Human Capital," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242368, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Marek Szturo & Bogdan Włodarczyk & Alberto Burchi & Ireneusz Miciuła & Karolina Szturo, 2021. "Improving Relations between a State and a Business Enterprise in the Context of Counteracting Adverse Effects of the Resource Curse," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, January.
    9. Leonardo Bonilla-Mejía, 2019. "Illegal Mining and Human Capital Accumulation: Evidence from the Colombian Gold Rush," Documentos de Trabajo Sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 17292, Banco de la República, Economía Regional.
    10. Chernor Momodu Bah & Mohamed Ouedraogo, 2022. "The Effect of Natural Resources on Economic Growth in West Africa: The Mediating Role of Human Capital Disaggregation," Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, Economics and Finance, Learning Gate, vol. 4(2), pages 27-42.
    11. Bezzola, Selina & Günther, Isabel & Brugger, Fritz & Lefoll, Erwin, 2022. "CSR and local conflicts in African mining communities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Minasyan, Anna, 2022. "Mining and Mistrust in Government," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1164, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Poignant, Adrian, 2023. "Small-scale mining and agriculture: Evidence from northwestern Tanzania," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    14. Roos Haer & Gudrun Østby, 2023. "Aiding education? The effect of international aid on local educational enrolment in Nigeria," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-103, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Sebri, Maamar & Issoufou Ahmed, Ousseini & Dachraoui, Hajer, 2023. "Public spending and the resource curse in WAEMU countries: An asymmetry analysis using the hidden cointegration and non-linear panel ARDL framework," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    16. Dou, Shiquan & Yue, Chen & Xu, Deyi & Wei, Yi & Li, Hang, 2022. "Rethinking the “resource curse”: New evidence from nighttime light data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    17. Konte, Maty & Vincent, Rose Camille, 2021. "Mining and quality of public services: The role of local governance and decentralization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    18. Mélanie Gittard & Irène Hu, 2024. "MiningLeaks Water Pollution and Child Mortality in Africa," CIRED Working Papers halshs-04685390, HAL.
    19. Gradstein, Mark & Ishak, Phoebe W., 2020. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Natural Resource Income Shocks on Human Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 14004, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Acuna, Julio & Balza, Lenin H. & Gomez-Parra, Nicolas, 2024. "From wells to wealth? Government transfers and human capital," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    21. Mark Gradstein & Phoebe W. Ishak, 2024. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Income Shocks on Human Capital in Africa," Working Papers 2405, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Economics.
    22. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya & Rodgers, Yana van der Meulen, 2023. "Mining and women’s agency: Evidence on acceptance of domestic violence and shared decision-making in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; mineral resources; gold mining; survey data; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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