Empirical study on the variation of secondary sex ratios in prewar Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K01611
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07070:Economic history-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ogasawara Kota 東京工業大学, 工学院, 准教授 (00733544)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 人口変動 / 二次性比

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The economics literature has revealed that the marriage and labor markets are distorted in economies where the proper sex ratio has been disrupted. This study estimates the impact of macro shocks on the secondary sex ratio by utilizing the pandemic influenza in prewar Japan with comprehensive statistical data based on registers. This study employs a quasi-experimental design and utilizes higher dimensional and more frequent data than previous studies. The results support the mechanism suggested by the theory, where exposure shifts the density function of initial endowment downwards under fixed survival thresholds.

Free Research Field

経済史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、20世紀初頭の日本におけるパンデミック・インフルエンザをマクロショックとして、それが人口変動に与える短期的影響を明らかにしたものである。本研究成果から得られた学術的知識は、現代における感染症のパンデミックや紛争といった比較的大規模なショックが人口変動に与える短期的影響について、一定の示唆を持ち得るものである。