Topic: Immiserizing Growth: Some Evidence (from China with Hope for Love)
(joint with Shang-jin Wei)
Presenter: Xiaobo Zhang
Affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC
Time: 4:00-5:30PM, Nov 30th, 2012
Location: 608, 6th Floor, Academic Hall, CUFE
Abstract Immiserizing growth – growth that comes with a lower level of welfare – is usually dismissed as a theoretical curiosity for a market economy with no practical relevance. We argue that a non-trivial portion of the Chinese high growth rates in recent years may be a case of immiserizing growth. In particular, a rise in the sex ratio imbalance may have simultaneously generated utility loss and additional economic growth that is not sufficient to offset the utility loss. We estimate that as much as 20% of the Chinese growth may be in that category.