Study: “The Effects of Health and Demographic Change on Economic Growth: Integrating Micro and Macro Perspectives, I. The Role of Population in Health-Income Causality”
PI(s): Weil, David
Co-PI(s): Wilde, Joshua
Affiliation(s): Brown University
Institutional Partner(s): PRB Center
Project Dates:
Start: 2007
End: 2010
Data Source(s): Parameters from Microanalysis
Methods: Simulation Models and MV Analysis
Geographic Location(s): Cross-Country Analysis

Description:
This project is the first subproject of “The Effects of Health and Demographic Change on Economic Growth: Integrating Micro and Macro Perspectives.” This project contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the relationship among health, fertility, and economic growth and attempts to answer three questions: What are the long-term economic effects of interventions that affect population health or fertility? How is the relationship among health, population size, and economic outcomes influenced by local conditions? What are the biological, social, and economic structures that underlie the effects of health and fertility on aggregate economic variables?

The results from this analysis have a number of policy-specific uses: An understanding of the demographic dynamics that accompany health improvements may suggest complementary investments, for example in family planning, which can greatly improve the rate at which improvements in health are translated into improvements in the standard of living.

Research Outputs:

Weil, David N. (2010). Endemic diseases and African economic growth: challenges and policy responses. Journal of African Economies, 19(3), 81-109. DOI: 10.1093/jae/ejq018

Weil, David N. & Wilde, Joshua. (2009). How Relevant Is Malthus for Economic Development Today? American Economic Review, 99(2), 255-260. DOI: 10.1257/aer.99.2.255