Does prosperity pay? Unraveling the relationship between economic performance and life expectancy across a large number of European regions, 2008-2019

Understanding the relationship between life expectancy at birth (e0) and the gross domestic product per capita (GDPpc) is relevant for cohesion policies in the European Union (EU), because it might imply that economic convergence (or divergence) is accompanied by narrowing (or widening) health gaps. Previous studies have studied the association between GDPpc and e0 almost exclusively based on national data. However, it is certainly relevant to add a subnational dimension, because levels and trends in both e0 and GDPpc vary substantially across Europes regions. Accordingly, the aim of our study is examining whether the economic performance of a region is correlated to their e0 level. To do so, we collected official mortality and population counts from national statistical offices and information on GDPpc from the Eurostat database for 506 regions in 21 European countries from 2008 to 2019. Using this data, we built Preston curves from regression models. Our results suggest that there is indeed a positive association between GDPpc and e0. Similarly to Prestons original analysis, we observe an upward shift in the curve, indicating that factors exogenous to a regions GDPpc level also play an important role in explaining e0 gains. Yet, the relationship differs between geographical areas, and we also find examples, such as women in Germany, Austria, Poland, and the Netherlands, where the relationship/pattern does not seem to hold.