The Impact of Life Expectancy on Health Expenditure in Malaysia

In this research, the researcher examines the dynamic association between gender-specific life expectancy male and female, and per capita health expenditure in Malaysia using time-series data between 2000 and 2024. Through applying Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, the analysis shows that male life expectancy and female life expectancy have a positive and statistically significant effect on current health expenditure per capita. This implies that the longer the life expectancy the higher the requirement of health care services, especially long-term care, chronic diseases management and the elderly support systems. The findings support the thesis that the ageing population, regardless of the gender, results in the strain on the national health budgets. Moreover, the higher coefficient in female life expectancy suggests that the health planning costs of longer lifespan of women might be more significant. The research highlights the importance of an active gender-responsive healthcare policy framework that can match the population changes in Malaysia. Based on these facts, policymakers must ensure that they invest in effective health infrastructure, prevention, and sustainable financing mechanisms of healthcare provision to meet future needs of a longer-living population.