From equality, democracy, and public health to economic prosperity

Abstract

This article takes you on a quick tour of international cross-sectional data on equality, democracy, public health, and economic performance, presenting statistically and economically significant bivariate cross-country relationships among those four variables, pair by pair. Specifically, income equality, democracy, and life expectancy are positively correlated with each other as well as with per capita GNI. Put differently, three key components of social capital – equality, democracy, and public health – vary systematically and significantly with one another as well as with per capita income in a large cross-sectional sample of countries from 1960 onward.