Data and Code for: Health effects of cousin marriage: Evidence from U.S. genealogical records

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) ``Sam'' Il Myoung Hwang, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia; Deaglan Jakob, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia; Munir Squires, Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  CM_Final_Replication 03/11/2025 02:14:PM
README.pdf application/pdf 1.1 MB 07/26/2025 06:34:PM

Project Citation: 

Hwang, ``Sam’’ Il Myoung, Jakob, Deaglan, and Squires, Munir. Data and Code for: Health effects of cousin marriage: Evidence from U.S. genealogical records. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2025. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-07-31. https://doi.org/10.3886/E200601V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary
Cousin marriage rates are high in many countries today. We provide the first estimate of the effect of such marriages on the life expectancy of offspring. By studying couples married over a century ago, we can observe their offspring across the lifespan. US genealogical data allows us to identify children whose parents were first cousins, and compare their years of life to the offspring of their parents’ siblings. Marrying a cousin leads to more than a two-year reduction in age-5 life expectancy. This effect is strikingly stable across time, despite large changes in life expectancy and economic
environment.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Cousin marriage; longevity; genealogy; lifespan; health; social norm
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      I10 Health: General
      N00 Economic History: General
      O10 Economic Development: General
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1750 – 1920
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 2017 – 2023
Universe:  View help for Universe All married couples in the U.S. who got married in or before 1850 and their children
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) observational data

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source United States Federal Census Population Schedule 1850-1930
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Individuals

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Published Versions

V1 [2025-07-31]

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