Poverty, pollution, and mortality: The 1918 influenza pandemic in a developing German economy

Abstract

The paper provides a detailed analysis of excess mortality during the "Spanish Flu" in a developing German economy and the effect of poverty and air pollution on pandemic mortality. The empirical analysis is based on a difference-in-differences approach using annual all-cause mortality statistics at the parish level in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The paper complements the existing literature on urban pandemic severity with comprehensive evidence from mostly rural parishes. The results show that middle and high-income parishes had a significantly lower increase in mortality rates than low-income parishes. Moreover, the mortality rate during the 1918 influenza pandemic was significantly higher in highly polluted parishes compared to least polluted parishes.

Public Infrastructure and Regional Resilience: Evidence from the 1918 Spanish Flu in Germany

“…We show that hospital infrastructure determined mortality rates; previous studies have shown an impact of pollution (Clay et al, 2018;Franke, 2022). The literature concerning the implications of the Spanish flu has mainly focused on the economic outcomes (Karlsson et al, 2014;Basco et al, 2021;Carillo and Jappelli, 2021;Barro et al, 2022;Beach et al, 2022).…”

The Past and Future of Work: How History Can Inform the Age of Automation

“…3 Reflecting this growing popular and scholarly interest, pre-existing research was given much greater prominence, and the COVID-19 crisis stimulated new studies. Scholars have sought to understand the effects of past pandemics on employment, inequality, education, innovation, and other social and economic indicators, and have used these findings to inform public debates and policy (Guimbeau, Menon et al 2020, Arthi and Parman 2021, Basco, Domènech et al 2021, Mamelund and Dimka 2021, Alfani 2022, Beach, Clay et al 2022, Franke 2022, Jedwab, Johnson et al 2022. The crisis led to the creation of new research centres on pandemics, some of which incorporate historical studies, and more funding for academic research on past disease outbreaks.…”

The Political Effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Weimar Germany

“…The German historical literature has hitherto largely neglected the pandemic, partly due to the difficulties in distinguishing between the consequences of the war in general and the Flu in particular. Recently, Franke (2022) showed that poverty and air pollution are among the main drivers of Influenza mortality in 1918 in the German state of Württemberg.…”

“…Another recent study byFranke (2022) indicates excess mortality between 5.4 and 6.1 per 1,000 for the period1918-1920. …”