Compulsory schooling reforms, education and mortality in twentieth century Europe

Arbeitspapier

Education yields substantial non-monetary benefits, but the size of these gains is still debated. Previous studies, for example, report contradictory effects of education and compulsory schooling on mortality - ranging from zero to large mortality reductions. Using data from 19 compulsory schooling reforms implemented in Europe during the twentieth century, we quantify the mean mortality effect and explore its dispersion across gender, time and countries. We find that men benefit from compulsory education both in the shorter and longer run. In contrast, compulsory schooling reforms have little or no effect on mortality for women.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 3755

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health Behavior ; Analysis of Education ; Education: Government Policy
• Subject: compulsory schooling ; education ; mortality ; Europe ; Bildungsreform ; Schulbesuch ; Wirkungsanalyse ; Sterblichkeit ; Schätzung ; Europa

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Gathmann, Christina ; Jürges, Hendrik ; Reinhold, Steffen
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/55877
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET