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DO DRAGONS HAVE BETTER FATE?
Author(s) -
WONG KAFU,
YUNG LINDA
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
economic inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1465-7295
pISSN - 0095-2583
DOI - 10.1093/ei/cbi048
Subject(s) - superstition , census , economics , actuarial science , test (biology) , demography , economic growth , demographic economics , public economics , sociology , history , population , archaeology , paleontology , biology
Traditionally, belief in the Chinese zodiac promotes the superstition that the timing of one's birth determines one's fate. Adherence to this belief has resulted in increased birth rates during Dragon years and, hence, problems in the logistics of providing certain public goods and services (such as schools and medical services) by governments. Despite the possible economic impacts of this superstition on society, no previous study has attempted to test its validity. Using the 1991 and 1996 Hong Kong census data sets, as well as the standard return‐to‐education methodology, we do not find any evidence for this pervasive superstition. (JEL J13 , J18 , Z12 )