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Life expectancy and welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean

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  • Rodrigo R. Soares

Abstract

This paper analyses the recent evolution of life expectancy in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and evaluates how much it has contributed to the overall improvements in welfare. We argue that increases in life expectancy between 1960 and 2000, which were largely independent of income, represented gains in welfare comparable to the ones derived from income growth. For countries in the region, estimates of welfare improvements accounting for health increase the numbers obtained from income alone by 40% on average. The available evidence suggests that improvements in public health infrastructure – such as provision of treated water and sewerage services – and large‐scale immunization programs may have been the key factors behind the mortality reductions observed in the period. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Rodrigo R. Soares, 2009. "Life expectancy and welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(S1), pages 37-54, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:18:y:2009:i:s1:p:s37-s54
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.1460
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gary S. Becker & Tomas J. Philipson & Rodrigo R. Soares, 2005. "The Quantity and Quality of Life and the Evolution of World Inequality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 277-291, March.
    2. Rodrigo R. Soares, 2007. "On the Determinants of Mortality Reductions in the Developing World," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 33(2), pages 247-287, June.
    3. Rosen, Sherwin, 1988. "The Value of Changes in Life Expectancy," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 285-304, September.
    4. David Cutler & Ellen Meara, 2001. "Changes in the Age Distribution of Mortality Over the 20th Century," NBER Working Papers 8556, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Alves, Denisard & Belluzzo, Walter, 2004. "Infant mortality and child health in Brazil," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 391-410, December.
    6. David Cutler & Grant Miller, 2005. "The role of public health improvements in health advances: The twentieth-century United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-22, February.
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