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A health 'Kuznets' curve'? Cross-section and longitudinal evidence on concentration indices

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  • Costa-Font, Joan
  • Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina
  • Sato, Azusa

Abstract

The distribution of income related health inequalities appears to exhibit changing patterns when both developing countries and developed countries are examined. This paper tests for the existence of a health Kuznets' curve, that is an inverse U-shape pattern between economic developments measured by GDP per capita) and income-related health inequalities (as measured by concentration indices). We draw upon both cross section (the World Health Survey) and a long longitudinal (the European Community Household Panel survey) dataset. Our results suggest evidence of a health Kuznets' curve on per capita income. Our findings point towards the existence of a polynomial association where inequalities decline when GDP per capita reaches a magnitude ranging between $26,000 and $38,700.That is, income-related health inequalities rise with GDP per capita, but tail off once a threshold level of economic development has been attained.

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  • Costa-Font, Joan & Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina & Sato, Azusa, 2018. "A health 'Kuznets' curve'? Cross-section and longitudinal evidence on concentration indices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68782, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:68782
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    Keywords

    concentration indices; self-reported health; health inequalities; Kuznets’ curve; income related health inequalities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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