Life Expectancy and Economic Growth

The growing interest in economics on the relationship between health and economic growth arises from the persistence of a strong gap in living standards between rich and poor countries. Despite the remarkable progress in health improvement in the last half century, mortality rates remain much higher in poor countries, with a difference in life expectancy between rich and poor countries of about 30 years (Cutler et al., 2006). This thesis focuses on this topic exploring the mechanisms by which health status affects economic growth including the relevant interconnections with investment in education, saving decisions and the intergenerational transmission of wealth.