Terrorism and subjective financial well-being: micro-level evidence from Pakistan

This paper exploits individual-level data on self-reported financial situations and district-level information on terrorist attacks in Pakistan to examine how persistent exposure to terrorism affects subjective financial well-being. The study also explores the relationship between recurrent terrorist acts and an individual’s perception of the financial well-being of other people in the community. Our model accounts for myriad influences of terrorism and financial statuses both at the individual and district levels. We find that terrorism adversely impacts subjective financial well-being. In particular, its negative effects on perceived personal financial conditions appear to be stronger for less-educated persons and those living in urban areas.