Education levels and Life Expectancy of Males and Females: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Khan, Farzana Naheed and Majeed, Muhammad Tariq (2018): Education levels and Life Expectancy of Males and Females: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan. Published in: Journal of Arts and Social Sciences , Vol. 5, No. 1 (31 May 2018): pp. 96-114.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of different levels of education on life expectancy of males and females in Pakistan using annual time series data from 1971 to 2017. The research on determinants of population health has proliferated in recent years. A number of indicators such as income, trade openness and climate change have been identified in the empirical literature on health determinants. Surprisingly, the importance of education has been less focused in the literature. In particular, to the best of our knowledge, the relationship of health and education in the case of Pakistan is not analyzed. The empirical analysis for the effect of education on health is based on the ARDL approach to cointegration. Moreover, Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique is used to obtain more reliable estimates. The empirical findings show that primary and secondary education significantly and positively enhance population health. This relationship remains robust for a separate analysis of both males and females life expectancy. This study recommends that investment in primary and secondary education will not only improve the education status of Pakistan but it will also improve the health status of both males and females, thereby alleviating health burden of the population.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Health, Life Expectancy, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Literacy
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C2 - Single Equation Models ; Single Variables > C22 - Time-Series Models ; Dynamic Quantile Regressions ; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models ; Diffusion Processes; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I10 - General; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I20 - General

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