The Heterogeneous Effects of a Food Price Crisis on Child School Enrollment and Labor : Evidence from Pakistan

Using a panel survey, this paper
investigates how the increase in food prices in Pakistan in
2008-2010 affected children's school enrollment and
labor. The causal identification relies on geographical
variations in the price of food (wheat). The results show
that the negative impacts of food price increase on school
enrollment differ by gender, economic status, and the
presence of siblings. The negative effects on school do not
directly correspond to the increase in child labor because
the transition from being idle to labor activity or from
school to being idle are significant, particularly among the
poor girls. The results also show that children in
households with access to agricultural land are not affected
by higher food prices. The analyses reveal a more dynamic
picture of the impact of food price increase on child status
and contribute to broader policy discussion to mitigate the
impact of crises on children's education.