Nber Working Paper Series Quality-Adjusted Population Density (original) (raw)

Growth, Health and Poverty : A Cross-Country Analysis

2009

Based on the cross-country data this paper brings out the inter-connections between economic growth, health and poverty. Economic growth enhances health measured in terms of life expectancy, which in turn contributes to economic growth positively. Though both higher growth and improved health are expected to reduce poverty, the effect of economic growth on poverty appears to be statistically insignificant. Access to improved water, education and better health facility at the time of birth show positive effect on life expectancy, which in turn reduces the consumption poverty. Investment in basic amenities and improvement in education and health facility are the two important policy considerations, which follow from the analysis. 1 It is argued that countries further from the frontier have lower R&D returns, implying that the cost of innovation is more in a poor country than in a rich country. Hence, it is still cheaper for a latecomer to buy the technology already invented by others than to re-invent the wheel though it is widely noted that international technology does not come cheap (UNIDO, 2005).

Relationships between Economic Growth and Population Health in Low and Middle Income Countries

2008

From 1960 to the present, many low and middle income countries have experienced significant economic growth and unprecedented improvements in population health. We examine the complex relationship between economic growth and population health, including the economic and health impacts of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, reproductive health issues, and the associated intervention policies. We also examine the impact of several pertinent economic policies on population health, including microfinance, the TRIPS agreement, and UNITAID, an international organization for purchasing drugs for use against AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. In addition we examine the effects of globalization on population health and economic growth. The evidence indicates that investment in improved population health is a reasonable macroeconomic policy tool for economic growth in low and middle income countries because improved health status has a positive impact on economic performance, and dim...

GDP per capita and the biological standard of living in contemporary developing countries

1997

This paper investigates whether a divergence between the biological standard of living (commonly measured by some anthropometric indicator) and GDP per capita during the early phases of industrialization, as observed for many now-developed countries in the nineteenth century, can also be found for the current developing countries. The paper examines whether such a divergence exists and which factors might explain

Urbanization, Human Capital, and Cross-Country Productivity Differences

2011

In this paper, we empirically examine the effects of health, education, and urbanization on the total factor productivity (TFP) of a large number of countries. We find that both urbanization and health indicators (life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and the risk of malaria) significantly affect TFP. Education has an insignificant effect on TFP. Coefficients of indicators of health and urbanization remain highly significant even after controlling for endogeneity.

Population dynamics and economic growth: Should we adopt different frameworks for poor and rich countries?

2011

The aim of this paper is to develop a model which incorporates the elements that are crucial for the determination of population dynamics in poor countries -child labor and intergenerational flows from children to parents. This model shows that when income decreases, fertility rates increase; a correlation which cannot be obtained by the regular models of demographic transition, in which there is a positive correlation between income and fertility rates. The main advantage of this model is that it better fits the data and the socioeconomic context of the poor countries. The parent-children relationship is part of a whole set of values and social norms that evolve over time and are affected by changes in the economic environment. Intergenerational transfers from parents to children are not due to an intrinsic value, which is independent and invariant to economic changes. JEL classification: J13; O11; O16; O40.

Population and income: Is there a puzzle?

Journal of Development Studies, 2006

This note presents wide evidence on the relationship between population and income for 125 countries for which data was available for the period 1950-2000. The main result is that there is a weak but negative relationship between population growth and per capita GDP, as income increases population expands at a slower rate. This relationship appears to be stronger for African countries and for Asian countries before 1970.

Population Dynamics and Economic Growth: Should We Model Differently Poor and Rich Countries?

2008

The aim of this paper is to develop a model which incorporates the elements that are crucial for the determination of population dynamics in poor countries -child labor and intergenerational flows from children to parents. This model shows that when income decreases, fertility rates increase; a correlation which cannot be obtained by the regular models of demographic transition, in which there is a positive correlation between income and fertility rates. The main advantage of this model is that it better fits the data and the socioeconomic context of the poor countries. The parent-children relationship is part of a whole set of values and social norms that evolve over time and are affected by changes in the economic environment. Intergenerational transfers from parents to children are not due to an intrinsic value, which is independent and invariant to economic changes. JEL classification: J13; O11; O16; O40.