The full distribution of adult height in Poland: cohorts born between 1920 and 1996. The biological cost of the economic transition

Pre-print, Working paper: Body height often serves as a proxy for economic progress. In this paper, we investigate the evolution of average height and height dispersion in Poland based on full administrative data on body height (n=36,393,246). In the cohorts born between 1920 and 1996, the average height of men increased by 10.15 cm, while the average height of women rose by 8.18 cm. Height increase was fastest in the years 1940-1980. After the economic transition, body height stagnated. Post-transition unemployment had negative effects on body height. Height declined in municipalities where there were State Agricultural Farms. Height dispersion decreased in the first decades under investigation and increased after the economic transition.

Author(s)

Marcin Wroński

Date of publication
  • 2023
Keywords JEL
N14 P20 Z13
Keywords
  • Height
  • Secular trend
  • Inequality
  • Poland
Internal reference
  • World Inequality Lab Working Papers n°2023-11
Version
  • 1