Higher Education and Mortality: Evidence from an Authoritarian College Contraction

68 Pages Posted: 23 Dec 2020 Last revised: 8 Sep 2023

See all articles by Felipe González

Felipe González

Queen Mary University of London

Luis R. Martinez

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy

Pablo Munoz

Universidad de Chile

Mounu Prem

Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 22, 2022

Abstract

We provide new evidence on the causal effect of higher education on mortality. Our empirical strategy exploits the reduction in college openings introduced by the Pinochet regime after the 1973 coup in Chile, which led to a sharp downward kink in college enrollment among those cohorts reaching college age in the following years. Using administrative data from the vital statistics, we document an upward kink in the age-specific yearly mortality rate of individuals in the affected cohorts. We estimate a negative effect of college on mortality between ages 34-74, which is larger for men, but also sizable for women. Individuals in the affected cohorts experience worse labor market outcomes, are more likely to be enrolled in the public health system, and report lower consumption of health services. This suggests that economic disadvantage and limited access to care play an important mediating role in the link between higher education and mortality.

Keywords: Higher Education, College, Health, Mortality, Chile

JEL Classification: I12, I14, I26

Suggested Citation

González, Felipe and Martinez, Luis and Munoz, Pablo and Prem, Mounu, Higher Education and Mortality: Evidence from an Authoritarian College Contraction (February 22, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3717849 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3717849

Felipe González

Queen Mary University of London ( email )

Mile End Road
London, London E1 4NS
United Kingdom

Luis Martinez

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy ( email )

1155 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

Pablo Munoz

Universidad de Chile ( email )

Beauchef 851, Santiago
Santiago, R. Metropolitana 7520421
Chile

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/view/pablomh

Mounu Prem (Contact Author)

Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF) ( email )

Via Due Macelli, 73
Rome, 00187
Italy

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