February 10, 2021
Keio University
A research team from the Faculty of Economics at Keio University, including Associate Professor Michio Naoi (Applied Econometrics) and Professor Hideo Akabayashi (Economics of Education), has examined the effects of changes in household income on educational spending and children's academic achievement. The change in government from 2010 to 2012 brought significant changes to the amount and eligibility criteria for the child allowance (including the former child benefit). The research team used data from sources including the Japan Child Panel Survey (JCPS)—jointly collected since 2010 by the Panel Data Research Center at the Institute for Economic Studies and the Center for Research on Equality of Opportunity for Children, both affiliated with Keio University's Faculty of Economics—to investigate whether fluctuations in household income due to changes in the allowance amount affected educational spending and children's academic achievement. The analysis revealed that while increases and decreases in household income do cause corresponding changes in educational spending, no evidence was found to suggest an immediate impact on children's academic achievement.
Please see below for the full press release.