The Determinants of Life Expectancy in Emerging Countries : Fresh Evidence From SAARC Countries

The disparity in life expectancy at birth is believed to be rooted in the socio-economic backgrounds of different social groups characterized by poverty status and living arrangements. The current paper undertakes a panel data analysis of the determinants of life expectancies based on economic, social, demographic, environmental, and technological factors in the South Asian region. Available variable-wise and year-wise data from 2000 to 2016 were obtained for selected countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka from the World Bank and UNDP database. The results revealed that the mean year of schooling and sanitation services have a significant and positive impact on life expectancy at birth. The result implies that an increase in the mean year of schooling and sanitation services will lead to the enhancement of life expectancy at birth. Furthermore, the total fertility rate, urban population, and CO2 emissions significantly influence life expectancy in a negative way. The findings of the paper suggest that a decrease in the total fertility rate, urban population, and CO2 levels will result in an increased life expectancy. However, the impact of health expenditure on life expectancy is significant but negative, which is unconventional. Other independent variables such as the GDP, gross capital formation, internet usage and mobile cellular subscription were observed to have no significant influence on life expectancy. Therefore, this study yields some policy implications for SAARC countries to improve augmented health outcomes by enhancing life expectancy