The Long-Term Effects of Civil Conflicts on Education, Earnings and Fertility: Evidence from Cambodia

40 Pages Posted: 29 Jul 2014

See all articles by Asad Islam

Asad Islam

Monash University

Chandarany Ouch

Monash University - Department of Economics

Russell Smyth

Monash University - Department of Economics

Liang Choon Wang

Monash University - Department of Economics

Date Written: July 28, 2014

Abstract

This paper examines the long-term effects of exposure to civil war and genocide on the educational attainment and labor productivity of individuals in Cambodia. Given the well-documented causal links between schooling and labor productivity, it is surprising that past studies show that civil conflicts reduce educational attainment, but generally not earnings of individuals. Using variation in the degree of Cambodians’ exposure to civil conflicts during primary school age, we find that disruption to primary education during civil conflicts decreases educational attainment and earnings, increases fertility and has negligible effects on health of individuals several decades later. Our findings suggest that the effect of conflict on schooling disruption has adverse consequences on long-term labour productivity and economic development.

Keywords: Civil conflict, genocide, fertility, returns to schooling

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JEL Classification: I21, J24, O12, N35

Suggested Citation

Islam, Asadul and Ouch, Chandarany and Smyth, Russell and Wang, Liang Choon, The Long-Term Effects of Civil Conflicts on Education, Earnings and Fertility: Evidence from Cambodia (July 28, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2473143 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2473143

Asadul Islam

Monash University ( email )

Centre for Dev Economics and Sustainability (CDES)
Monash University
Caulfield East, Victoria
Australia
0403642405 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://users.monash.edu/~asaduli/

Chandarany Ouch

Monash University - Department of Economics ( email )

Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria 3
Australia

Russell Smyth

Monash University - Department of Economics ( email )

Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria 3
Australia

Liang Choon Wang (Contact Author)

Monash University - Department of Economics ( email )

Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria
Australia

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/site/liangchoonwang/

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