The effect of weather index insurance on social capital: Evidence from rural Ethiopia

Abstract

We study the effect of weather index insurance (WII) uptake on social capital. We measure individual social capital using experimental and survey-based measures and relate it to the actual purchase of WII. We use propensity score matching (PSM) and an instrumental variable (IV) to address endogeneity concerns. Our descriptive and PSM estimates show that WII uptake negatively and significantly affects social capital. We find that insured households contribute less to the public good than uninsured households. We also find qualitatively and quantitatively similar results using our IV approach, yet insufficient power renders most of our IV estimates insignificant. We however report robust significant effects of instrumented WII uptake on sociopsychological outcomes—WII uptake increases perceptions of self-sufficiency and free-riding behavior: these are potential channels through which a negative effect on social capital comes about. Although far from conclusive, our paper provides several pieces of evidence that suggest WII uptake negatively affects social capital.