Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
养老金能拯救生命吗？来自英国老年援助制度引入的证据
Can Pensions Save Lives? Evidence from the Introduction of Old-Age Assistance in the United Kingdom
摘要
We study the impact of old-age assistance on mortality using the 1909 introduction of public pensions in the United Kingdom as a quasi-natural experiment. Estimating difference-in-differences and an event-time design, we show that elderly mortality in England and Wales declined with the pension introduction. The estimated decline is economically relevant, stronger in counties with more pensioners, and driven by fewer deaths from both infectious and non-infectious diseases. Analyzing full-count individual-level census data points to a reduction in residential crowding and retirement, especially from occupations associated with high mortality rates, as likely channels.
中文摘要
我们以英国1909年引入公共养老金作为准自然实验，研究老年援助对死亡率的影响。通过估计双重差分和事件时间设计，我们表明英格兰和威尔士的老年人死亡率随着养老金的引入而下降。估计的下降在经济上具有相关性，在养老金领取者更多的郡更为显著，并且是由传染病和非传染病死亡人数减少所驱动。分析全计数个体层面的人口普查数据表明，居住拥挤程度下降以及退休——尤其是从与高死亡率相关的职业中退出——可能是其渠道。