| By: |
Steef Baeten (Institute for Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam);
Tom Van Ourti (Erasmus School of Economics (EUR));
Eddy Van Doorslaer (Erasmus School of Economics (EUR)) |
| Abstract: |
During the last decades, China has experienced double-digit economic growth
rates and rising inequality. This paper implements a new decomposition on the
China Health and Nutrition panel Survey (1991-2006) to examine the extent to
which changes in level and distribution of incomes and in income mobility are
related to health disparities between rich and poor. We find that health
disparities in China relate to rising income inequality and in particular to
the adverse health and income experience of older (wo)men, but not to the
growth rate of average incomes over the last decades. These findings suggest
that replacement incomes and pensions at older ages may be one of the most
important policy levers in combating health disparities between rich and poor
Chinese. |
| Keywords: |
China; income growth; income inequality; income mobility; health inequality |
| JEL: |
C00 D30 D63 I14 I15 |
| Date: |
2012–09–10 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:uvatin:20120091&r=cna |