The Effects of Education Quality on Income Growth and Mortality Decline

48 Pages Posted: 20 Nov 2006 Last revised: 29 Jul 2022

See all articles by Eliot Jamison

Eliot Jamison

Origo, Inc.

Dean T. Jamison

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Eric A. Hanushek

Stanford University - Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Date Written: October 2006

Abstract

Previous work shows that higher levels of education quality (as measured by international student achievement tests) increases growth rates of national income. This paper begins by confirming those findings in an analysis involving more countries over more time with additional controls. We then use the panel structure of our data to assess whether the mechanism by which education quality appears to improve per capita income levels is through shifting the level of the production function (probably not), through increasing the impact of an additional year of education (probably not), or through increasing a country's rate of technological progress (very likely). Mortality rates complement income levels as indicators of national well-being and we extend our panel models to show that improved education quality increases the rate of decline in infant mortality. Throughout the analysis, we find a stronger impact of education quality and of years of schooling in open than in closed economies.

Suggested Citation

Jamison, Eliot and Jamison, Dean T. and Hanushek, Eric A., The Effects of Education Quality on Income Growth and Mortality Decline (October 2006). NBER Working Paper No. w12652, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=940601

Eliot Jamison

Origo, Inc. ( email )

153 Kearny St., Suite 401
San Francisco, CA 94108
United States

Dean T. Jamison

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) ( email )

Third Avenue and Parnassus
San Francisco, CA CA 94143
United States

Eric A. Hanushek (Contact Author)

Stanford University - Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305-6010
United States
650-736-0942 (Phone)
650-723-1687 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
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CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

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Germany

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