Exploring Global Development: Life Expectancy and GDP Per Capita
I have chosen the Gapminder dataset for my project. This dataset provides information on global social, economic, and health indicators across different countries and years. After reviewing the codebook, I became interested in exploring the relationship between economic development and human health, particularly focusing on GDP per capita and life expectancy.
Topic of Interest: The relationship between economic development and human health
The main question I would like to study is: Is GDP per capita associated with life expectancy across countries?
This question examines whether wealthier nations tend to have longer life expectancies, reflecting how economic progress can influence public health outcomes. I also expect that in countries with larger populations, the positive effect of GDP per capita on life expectancy may be weaker, as economic and health resources could be more unevenly distributed among citizens.
Second Topic: Population dynamics
While GDP and life expectancy form the core of my study, I am also curious about population size. Does having a very large or small population influence how wealth translates into health outcomes?
A quick literature review conducted on Google Scholar shows that this relationship has been studied for decades:
Preston (1975): First described the positive GDP–life expectancy link.
Deaton (2003): Showed that income gains improve health but unevenly across regions.
Pritchett & Summers (1996): Argued that “wealthier is healthier” — higher incomes allow for better health infrastructure and living standards.
These studies support the idea that national wealth plays a major role in shaping health outcomes, but local and demographic factors can complicate this relationship.
Hypothesis: There is a positive association between a country’s GDP per capita and its life expectancy. However, this relationship may be moderated by population size, with larger populations potentially reducing the strength of the association.
