Health Effects of Cousin Marriage: Evidence from US Genealogical Records

Myoung Hwang, Sam Il; Jakob, Deaglan; Squires, Munir

doi:10.1257/aeri.20230544

Abstract

Cousin marriage rates are high in many countries today. While previous studies have documented increased risks of infant and child mortality, we provide the first estimate of the effect of such marriages on life expectancy throughout adulthood. By studying couples married over a century ago, we can observe their offspring across the entire lifespan. US genealogical data allows us to identify children whose parents were first cousins, and compare their years of life to the offspring of their parents鈥� siblings. Marrying a cousin leads to more than a two-year reduction in age-5 life expectancy, compounding the documented early-life effects.

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