The height premium: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Kristina Thompson; France Portrait; Linda Schoonmade

doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101273

The height premium: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Kristina Thompson^*, France Portrait, Linda Schoonmade

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The taller people are, the more money they tend to earn. This phenomenon is widely known as the height premium. However, it is not yet known whether the height premium is universal, or whether it varies by context. To that end, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Five databases were searched until August 2020. Ultimately, a list of 42 studies were included in a narrative synthesis, and 17 studies were included in a meta-analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, we found evidence that the height premium varied by context: the height premium was smaller in the U.S. and Australia, and larger in Latin America and Asia. Within geographies, there appeared to be a larger height premium for men than for women. Cultural factors, labor market structures and biology may play a role in determining the strength of the height premium.

Original language	English
Article number	101273
Journal	Economics and Human Biology
Volume	50
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101273
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Keywords

Anthropometry
Body height
Labor market
Systematic review
Wages

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title = "The height premium: A systematic review and meta-analysis",

abstract = "The taller people are, the more money they tend to earn. This phenomenon is widely known as the height premium. However, it is not yet known whether the height premium is universal, or whether it varies by context. To that end, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Five databases were searched until August 2020. Ultimately, a list of 42 studies were included in a narrative synthesis, and 17 studies were included in a meta-analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, we found evidence that the height premium varied by context: the height premium was smaller in the U.S. and Australia, and larger in Latin America and Asia. Within geographies, there appeared to be a larger height premium for men than for women. Cultural factors, labor market structures and biology may play a role in determining the strength of the height premium.",

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AB - The taller people are, the more money they tend to earn. This phenomenon is widely known as the height premium. However, it is not yet known whether the height premium is universal, or whether it varies by context. To that end, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Five databases were searched until August 2020. Ultimately, a list of 42 studies were included in a narrative synthesis, and 17 studies were included in a meta-analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, we found evidence that the height premium varied by context: the height premium was smaller in the U.S. and Australia, and larger in Latin America and Asia. Within geographies, there appeared to be a larger height premium for men than for women. Cultural factors, labor market structures and biology may play a role in determining the strength of the height premium.

KW - Anthropometry

KW - Body height

KW - Labor market

KW - Systematic review

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JO - Economics and Human Biology

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The height premium: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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Keywords

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