A TROPICAL SUCCESS STORY: A CENTURY OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BIOLOGICAL STANDARD OF LIVING, COLOMBIA 1970 - 2002*


Adolfo Meisel
Margarita Vega

Abstract
In this paper the evolution in the average height of Colombians from 1910 to 1984 is analyzed. The anthropometric evidence reveals a sustained increase in the standard of biological welfare during this period.  A database with more than 8.000.000 observations from the national citizenship card is used. Observations are available for both men and women and for all regions of the country.  There was a significant increase in the height of Colombians between 1910 and 1984. Average height of women increased 9 inches, while for men the increase was of 8 inches. The dispersion in the height of Colombians showed a large reduction during the period studied. This is important since it implies a convergence in the biological standard of living.   Finally, the inter-departmental differences in average height are analyzed and it was found that around 43% of the observed variations are explained by departmental per-capita GDP and the racial composition of the population.
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*Paper prepared for The Fifth World Congress of Cliometrics, Venice International University, Venice, Italy, July  8-11, 2004. The authors acknowledge the collaboration of Miguel Urrutia, David Zabala, Francisco Rivas, Diana Mejía, and Camilo Morales, and comments by Javier Perez, Haroldo Calvo, and participants in The Economic History Society Annual Conference, University of London, April 2-4, 2004. For comments please contact ameisero@banrep.gov.co, and/or mvegaace@banrep.gov.co.