Lasting effects of parental death during childhood: evidence from Sweden

This study looks at the effect of losing a parent before the age of 16 on adult income, educational attainment, and health. Using detailed data from the Swedish registers and several methodological strategies, we follow to adulthood individuals born between 1968 and 1981 and observe their later-life outcomes.The results suggest that, in line with previous research, losing a parent during childhood is associated with substantively lower income, lower educational attainment and more hospitalizations. We find evidence of a critical phase from ages 6-15 for educational attainment and ages 2-10 for hospitalizations, and our estimates suggest that grief and parental investments are relevant mechanisms for the observed effects