Valuing Life_ A Plea for Disaggregation

2004] VALUING LIFE 415
TABLE 3: VSL ACROSS NATIONS
Nation and Year of Study
Taiwan (1997)
South Korea (1993)
India (1996/97)
Hong Kong (1998)
Canada (1989)
Switzerland (2001)
Japan (1991)
Australia (1997)
United Kingdom (2000)
VSL (in 2000 US$)
.2–.9 million
.8 million
1.2–1.5 million
1.7 million
3.9–4.7 million
6.3–8.6 million
9.7 million
11.3–19.1 million
19.9 million
It would follow that within the United States, wealthy
populations would show a higher VSL than poorer populations. If a
program is designed to combat health risks in wealthy suburbs, the
VSL should be above the population-wide median; if the protected
population is mostly in poor areas, the VSL should be below this
median. Currently agencies pay no attention to this possibility in
undertaking cost-benefit analysis. 122
What about the more controversial categories of race and
gender? Recent studies show significant differences. Using workplace
data from 1996 to 1998, Professors Leeth and Ruser find that
women’s VSL ranges from $8.1 million to $10.2 million, whereas
men’s VSL is less than half that amount, ranging from $2.6 million to
$4.7 million. 123 Leeth and Ruser find that Hispanic males show a
slightly higher VSL than white males ($5 million compared to $3.4
million). 124 Most strikingly, African Americans receive no
compensation for workplace risks, producing a VSL of zero. 125 Using
workplace data from 1992 through 1997, Professor Viscusi also finds a
significant disparity across racial lines, though his numbers are quite
122. See Adler & Posner, supra note 5, at 1136–39 (arguing that the failure to take into
account the differences in marginal utility between wealthy and poor people distorts costbenefit
analysis).
123. Leeth & Ruser, supra note 19, at 266.
124. Id. at 270.
125. See id. at 275 (concluding that fatal injury risk compensation for black males is negative
but insignificant).