EH.Net Abstracts in Economic History

                ABSTRACTS IN ECONOMIC HISTORY
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Name:  Dorothee Crayen
Email:  dorothee.crayen at uni-tuebingen.de
Institution:  University of Tuebingen, Germany

Co-authors:  Joerg Baten, Univ. Tuebingen, 
Germany and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 
Spain
Brian A'Hearn, Franklin & Marshall College, USA

Title:  Quantifying Quantitative Literacy: Age 
Heaping and the History of Human Capital

Internet Address of abstracted work: 
http://www.econ.upf.edu/en/research/onepaper.php?id=996

By mail:
Department of Economic History
Mohlstr. 36
72074 Tuebingen
Germany

Language:  English

Abstract:
Age data frequently display excess frequencies at 
round or attractive ages, such as even numbers 
and multiples of five. This phenomenon of age 
heaping has been viewed as a problem in previous 
research, especially in demography and 
epidemiology. We see it as an opportunity and 
propose its use as a measure of human capital 
that can yield comparable estimates across a wide 
range of historical contexts. A simulation study 
yields methodological guidelines for measuring 
and interpreting differences in age heaping, 
while analysis of contemporary and historical 
datasets demonstrates the existence of a robust 
correlation between age heaping and literacy at 
both the individual and aggregate level. To 
illustrate the method, we generate estimates of 
human capital in Europe over the very long run, 
which support the hypothesis of a major increase 
in human capital preceding the industrial 
revolution.

Keywords:  Human Capital, Age Heaping, Growth, Industrial Revolution, Numeracy

JEL codes:  I21, N01, N30, 015

Bibliography: A'Hearn, Brian, Jörg Baten and 
Dorothee Crayen. "Quantifying Quantitative 
Literacy: Age Heaping and the History of Human 
Capital." Universitat Pompeu Fabra Economics 
Working Paper No. 996

Subject:  G
Geographical Area:  0
Country/Region:
Time Period:  0

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