Regional heterogeneities in returns to education in Zambia
A Quantile Regression Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6005809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Denny S Nsokolo (0009-0004-3218-5959, University of Johannesburg), Beatrice Simo-Kengne (University of Johannesburg), Beatrice D Simo‐Kengne (0000-0002-4948-5868, University of Johannesburg), Chitalu Miriam Chama-Chiliba (University of Zambia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 1494-1508 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0306-8293 • E-ISSN: 1758-6712 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijse-03-2024-0262 |
| OpenAlex | W4406299617 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Purpose This study determines the existence of regional heterogeneities in returns to education in Zambia. It seeks to analyse the differential impact of education on wages across different geographical regions of Zambia. Adopting a regional approach, the study employs novel empirical methods to understand the pecuniary benefits of education at the sub-national level. Design/methodology/approach The study analyses data from Zambia’s 2021 Labour Force Survey. It employs modified human capital models and quantile regression techniques to examine how returns to education differ across regions and the wage distribution. Findings Results show a distinctive heterogeneous pattern in which returns to education are higher in urban regions, followed by peri-urban, and lowest in the rural region. Results further show that returns to education increase with the level of education and are highest at the tertiary level. Quantile regression estimates reveal that returns to education vary across income levels within regions, suggesting a necessity for tailored policy interventions. Additionally, individuals’ health conditions display direct effects on their earnings potential. Originality/value This study adopts a modified human capital model to account for the health dimension, which has received less attention in past returns to education research. Furthermore, a regional approach is employed to capture within-country variations necessary for designing policy interventions aimed at addressing region-specific challenges. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2024-0262
Econometrics · Economics · Quantile · Quantile regression · Regression · Regression analysis · Statistics · Economic Growth and Productivity · Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Mathematics
Sample Selection Bias as a Specification Error
The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing
The Impact of Selection into the Labor Force on the Gender Wage Gap
Student Employment and Education
The urban–rural education gap
Returns to bachelor’s and master’s degree in tertiary education
Increasing Returns and Economic Geography
Increasing Returns and Long-Run Growth
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |