入学年龄与人力资本发展：来自莱索托的证据
Age at School Entry and Human Capital Development: Evidence from Lesotho
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics · 2026 · [{"name": "Jan‐Walter De Neve", "affiliation": ["Heidelberg University", "San Diego State University"]}, {"name": "Ramaele Moshoeshoe", "affiliation": ["National University of Lesotho"]}, {"name": "Jacob Bor", "affiliation": ["Boston University"]}]
中文摘要
关于低收入国家入学年龄影响的证据较为有限。我们利用入学年龄阈值，评估了入学年龄如何影响莱索托的人力资本发展。年龄较大时开始上小学的儿童，随着学业推进能够克服最初的技能不足。他们更有可能继续留在学校，花在经济活动和家庭活动上的时间更少，并获得大幅更高的总受教育年限。成年后，他们更有可能从事专业职业，而更不可能在青少年时期结婚或生育、（男性）感染 HIV 以及（女性）经历子女死亡。（JEL I12, I21, I25, I26, J13, J24, O15）
Abstract
Evidence on school-entry age impacts in lower-income countries is limited. We assess how school starting age affects human capital development in Lesotho, exploiting an enrollment age threshold. Children who start primary school at older ages overcome initial skill deficits as they progress. They are more likely to remain in school, spend less time on economic and household activities, and obtain substantially higher total years of schooling. In adulthood they are more likely to have professional occupations and less likely to be married or have children as teenagers, become HIV infected (men), and experience the death of a child (women). (JEL I12, I21, I25, I26, J13, J24, O15)