The Timing of Mortality Decline and Human Capital Accumulation

Abstract

In this paper, we rigorously reinvestigate the effects of childhood mortality decline during different periods on human capital accumulation and economic development. For this purpose, we extend the basic framework of Azarnert (2006) by dividing childhood among three periods—early childhood (the period prior to school enrolment), school age (the school-enrolment period), and late childhood (the period posterior to school enrolment)—and assume a constant mortality rate for each period. We arrive at the following conclusions. The mortality decline after school age promotes human capital accumulation and economic development. The mortality decline after early childhood impedes human capital accumulation and economic development, but has no effect on the same after late childhood.