Title: Trade Openness and Life Expectancy Nexus in Less-Developed Countries

Authors: Mercy Laita Palamuleni

Addresses: Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, College of Business, McNeese State University,Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Abstract: The welfare effect of trade on growth is widely studied. However, only a few studies focus on the effects of trade on health. This paper investigates the long-run relationship between international trade and population health, as measured by life expectancy, in 25 less-developed countries (LDCs). Annual data spanning over 1965 to 2013 and panel data techniques that are robust to endogeniety issues and cross-sectional dependence are employed. This study draws two main conclusions: (a) international trade and life expectancy have a positive long-run relationship; and (b) the causal relationship is bi-directional. Implying that trade might be both the cause and the consequence of population health. Consequently, LDCs should adopt policies that promote trade and quality of life, simultaneously.

Keywords: Trade; population health; panel co-integration; less developed countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTGM.2017.090268

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, 2017 Vol.10 No.4, pp.290 - 302

Received: 28 Nov 2016
Accepted: 26 Jan 2017

Published online: 07 Mar 2018 *

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