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Human capital, unequal opportunities and productivity convergence : a global historical perspective, 1800–2100
Bharti, Nitin Kumar
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Gethin, Amory
;
Jenmana, Thanasak
;
Mo, Zhexun
;
Piketty, Thomas
;
Yang, Li
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URN:
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urn:nbn:de:bsz:180-madoc-713897
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Document Type:
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Working paper
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Year of publication:
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2025
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The title of a journal, publication series:
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ZEW Discussion Papers
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Volume:
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25-049
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Place of publication:
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Mannheim
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Publication language:
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English
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Institution:
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Sonstige Einrichtungen > ZEW - Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung
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MADOC publication series:
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Veröffentlichungen des ZEW (Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung) > ZEW Discussion Papers
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Subject:
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330 Economics
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Classification:
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JEL:
E24 , H5 , I15 , I25 , N10,
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Keywords (English):
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human capital , productivity , education , health , global inequality
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Abstract:
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This paper constructs a new global historical database on public expenditure and revenue and their components—particularly education and health expenditure—covering all world regions over the 1800-2025 period. We document a large rise of human capital expenditure (as % of GDP) in all parts of the world in the long run, but with enormous and persistent inequality between regions. Public education expenditure per school-age individual in Sub-Saharan Africa is about 3% of the level observed in Europe and North America in 2025 in PPP terms (versus 6% in 1980 and 4% in 1950). We also find a large impact of human capital expenditure on productivity growth over the 1800-2025 period, especially for public education and for poor countries. Estimated returns using our macro-historical database are around 10% or more, in line with micro studies. Finally, we present simulations based on alternative human capital expenditure trajectories over the 2025-2100 period. In particular, we analyze the conditions under which convergence in human capital expenditure could lead to global productivity convergence by 2100 (around 100€ per hour in all regions in our benchmark scenario).
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 | Das Dokument wird vom Publikationsserver der Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim bereitgestellt. |
 Search Authors in
BASE:
Bharti, Nitin Kumar
;
Gethin, Amory
;
Jenmana, Thanasak
;
Mo, Zhexun
;
Piketty, Thomas
;
Yang, Li
Google Scholar:
Bharti, Nitin Kumar
;
Gethin, Amory
;
Jenmana, Thanasak
;
Mo, Zhexun
;
Piketty, Thomas
;
Yang, Li
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