The Effects of Military Conscription on Education in Russia

This paper analyses the correlation between conscription in Russia and further education of conscripts and individuals who legally or illegally deferred from the draft. Previous studies show different influence of the draft on individual’s education. Results differ among various racial and ethnic groups, time periods or family income. This study is based on a 2008-year reform that reduced army hitch from 2 to 1 year period. Basing on the reform the probability of men becoming enrolled in further education (hence, legally defer from the draft) is being estimated. It was found that information about upcoming reform increased the probability of education enrollment by 5 p.p. for male individuals from richer families. Their years of schooling were averagely 0,38 years higher. The estimation of the reform is made by difference-in-difference (DiD) method.