Four Essays on the Economics of Height

Economists are interested in height for at least four reasons. One reason is that a correlation between heights and wages exists: On average, taller persons earn more than their shorter peers, making height an important control variable in any well-specified wage equation. A second reason is that authoritarian regimes tend to report conventional standard of living indicators, such as income, in an unreliable way. Accurate height information, however, is frequently available. As height reflects not only nature but also nurture, the latter can be then be used as a proxy for conventional indicators. A third reason is that for most of human history, conventional indicators of living standards are not available at all. Information on height, on the other hand, is available as far back the 18th century. Finally, well-being is inherently multidimensional, encompassing more than the mere command over goods and services. Even today, height can thus contribute to a more nuanced view of the quality of life. This volume contributes one essay to each of the four areas, enabling new insights.