Health, Height and Regional Disparities in Italy: Evidence From Conscripts’ Data, 1843-1871

Abstract

This article contributes to the debate on regional disparities in living standards in Italy at the time of national unification (1861) by examining the health standards of army conscripts born between 1843 and 1871. Data regarding the conscripts born in 1843-1856 show that 35.4 per cent of youths examined were unfit for military service. Overall, the rejection rate in the peninsular south was similar to that of the northern regions. In the south, however, the share of conscripts rejected for insufficient height was notably higher. It is very likely that the persistent north-south gradient in average height in Italy is related to genetic factors.