This paper assesses the evidence for a fertility equilibrium point or rebound from low levels.
Hi, I'm Sangita Vyas.
I’m a development economist and demographer, and an Assistant Professor in Economics at CUNY Hunter College.
About
My research focuses on India, where I study population health, the environment, and the political economy of policy implementation. I’m trained in applied microeconomics and economic demography.
TEDx Talk
In 2015, I spoke at TEDx WalledCity in New Delhi on why so many rural Indians defecate in the open. The video has over 2.5 million views.
Latest Research
Realized fertility outcomes influence survey-reported fertility preferences
R&R at Journal of Population Economics. Our findings demonstrate that survey-reported ideal fertility is not altogether causally prior to realized fertility outcomes.
Be careful what you ask for: Social desirability bias in self-reported data in India
R&R at Journal of Development Economics. This paper studies the consequences of policy change for social desirability bias in survey responses in the context of a large-scale and highly-salient sanitation program in India.
Why Do Governments Make Promises They Cannot Keep? Evidence from India’s National Clean Air Programme
The Indian Government created the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) with an ambitious aim to reduce air pollution in 131 cities by 40% by 2026. If successful, NCAP would be one of the most important environmental policies in history. We evaluate the effect of NCAP, and find a precisely estimated zero effect.
Maternal Mortality Disparities in India
Forthcoming in Demography. This study is the first to describe and decompose inequalities in maternal mortality across social group in India.
Is Less Really More? Comparing the Climate and Productivity Impacts of a Shrinking Population
R&R at JPE Macro. A smaller human population would produce less carbon emissions, other things equal. This fact has led to the view that an important benefit of the ongoing, global decline in fertility will be reductions in long-run temperatures. Here we assess the magnitude and economic significance of this relationship.