Long-Term Health and Human Capital Effects of Universal Health Care and Mass Literacy: Evidence from Cuba
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866918529212612608 |
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| author | Mellace, Giovanni Spruk, Rok |
| author_facet | Mellace, Giovanni Spruk, Rok |
| contents | We estimate long-run effects of Cuba's 1961 National Health Service and contemporaneous National Literacy Campaign using synthetic-control methods on newly assembled series for 21 former European colonies in the Americas, 1900--2022. Relative to synthetic Cuba, infant mortality falls 15--29 percent and average years of schooling rise 1.5--2 years; both effects are large, persistent, and robust to augmented SCM, synthetic difference-in-differences, interactive fixed effects, and matrix completion. Life-expectancy gains attenuate after 1990, consistent with the post-Soviet Special Period, suggesting that bundled health and literacy reforms permanently raise early-life survival and human capital, with smaller and less robust effects on adult longevity. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_29785 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Long-Term Health and Human Capital Effects of Universal Health Care and Mass Literacy: Evidence from Cuba Mellace, Giovanni Spruk, Rok General Economics Economics We estimate long-run effects of Cuba's 1961 National Health Service and contemporaneous National Literacy Campaign using synthetic-control methods on newly assembled series for 21 former European colonies in the Americas, 1900--2022. Relative to synthetic Cuba, infant mortality falls 15--29 percent and average years of schooling rise 1.5--2 years; both effects are large, persistent, and robust to augmented SCM, synthetic difference-in-differences, interactive fixed effects, and matrix completion. Life-expectancy gains attenuate after 1990, consistent with the post-Soviet Special Period, suggesting that bundled health and literacy reforms permanently raise early-life survival and human capital, with smaller and less robust effects on adult longevity. |
| title | Long-Term Health and Human Capital Effects of Universal Health Care and Mass Literacy: Evidence from Cuba |
| topic | General Economics Economics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29785 |