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Sanctioned to Death? The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Life Expectancy and its Gender Gap

Bibliographic Data

ID20303757
AuthorsJerg Gutmann (0000-0003-1215-1116, Universität Hamburg), Matthias Neuenkirch (0000-0002-7451-3613, Universität Trier, corresponding author), Florian Neumeier (0000-0003-4990-9410, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
Year2021
Volume57
Issue1
Pages139-162
Publication date2021-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Development Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0388 • E-ISSN: 1743-9140
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00220388.2020.1746277
OpenAlexW2772752496
LanguageEN
Citations received33
References cited54

We empirically analyse the effect of UN and US economic sanctions on life expectancy and its gender gap in target countries. Our sample covers 98 less developed and newly industrialised countries over the period 1977–2012. We employ a matching approach to account for the endogeneity of sanctions. Our results indicate that an average episode of UN sanctions reduces life expectancy by about 1.2–1.4 years. The corresponding decrease of 0.4–0.5 years under US sanctions is significantly smaller. In addition, we find evidence that women are affected more severely by the imposition of sanctions. Sanctions not being ‘gender-blind’ indicates that they disproportionately affect (the life expectancy of) the more vulnerable members of society. We also detect effect heterogeneity, as the reduction in life expectancy accumulates over time and countries with a better political environment are less severely affected by economic sanctions. Finally, we provide some evidence that an increase in child mortality and Cholera deaths as well as a decrease in public spending on health care are transmission channels through which UN sanctions adversely affect life expectancy in the targeted countries

Affect (linguistics) · Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic sanctions · Economics · Endogeneity · Life expectancy · Political science · Population · Sanctions · Sociology · Demography · Economic Sanctions and International Relations · Global Health Care Issues · Psychology

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Unique citing works33
Citations per year6,6
Citation span2021 - 2026 (6)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 32
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