Abstract: re v ie we d 9028 2021 April 2021 A Cross-Country Analysis of the Determinants of Covid-19 Fatalities Pr ep r int no tp ee r Hideki Toya, Mark Skidmore This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3832483 er re vie we d Impressum: Pr ep rin tn ot pe CESifo Working Papers ISSN 2364-1428 (electronic version) Publisher and distributor: Munich Society for the Promotion of Economic Research - CESifo GmbH The international platform of Ludwigs-Maximilians University’s Center for Economic Studies and the ifo Institute Poschingerstr. 5, 81679 Munich, Germany Telephone +49 (0)89 2180-2740, Telefax +49 (0)89 2180-17845, email office@cesifo.de Editor: Clemens Fuest https://www.cesifo.org/en/wp An electronic version of the paper may be · from the SSRN website: www.SSRN.com · from the RePEc website: www.RePEc.org · from the CESifo website: https://www.cesifo.org/en/wp This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3832483 iew ed CESifo Working Paper No. 9028 pe er re v A Cross-Country Analysis of the Determinants of Covid-19 Fatalities Abstract Over the last year the world experienced the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with unprecedented policy responses. In this paper we examine the determinants of COVID-19 infections and fatalities in a cross-country analysis. We find that countries with greater income, less dense and greater elderly populations, fewer hospital beds, and more freedom experienced greater fatalities, and that travel restrictions and use of hydroxychloroquine reduced deaths. However, we find little evidence that lockdowns reduced fatalities, and though use of PCR testing resulted in more recorded infections, it was unassociated with fatalities. JEL-Codes: O100, O200, Q540. ot Keywords: pandemic, Covid-19, fatalities. Mark Skidmore Michigan State University 67 Morrill Hall of Agriculture USA – East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 mskidmor@msu.edu ep rin tn Hideki Toya Faculty of Economics Nagoya City University Yamanohata-1, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku Japan – Nagoya, 467-8501 toya@econ.nagoya-cu.ac.jp Pr No organizations provided funding for this research. This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3832483 iew ed