Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/20771 
Year of Publication: 
2005
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 1472
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Male life expectancy at birth fell by over six years in Russia between 1989 and 1994. Many other countries of the former Soviet Union saw similar declines, and female life expectancy fell as well. Using cross-country and Russian household survey data, we assess six possible explanations for this upsurge in mortality. Most find little support in the data: the deterioration of the health care system, changes in diet and obesity, and material deprivation fail to explain the increase in mortality rates. The two factors that do appear to be important are alcohol consumption, especially as it relates to external causes of death (homicide, suicide, and accidents) and stress associated with a poor outlook for the future. However, a large residual remains to be explained.
Subjects: 
health
mortality
Russia
Eastern Europe
JEL: 
J10
I12
P36
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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