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The impact of minimum wages on population health: evidence from 24 OECD countries

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  • Otto Lenhart

    (University of West Florida)

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between minimum wages and several measures of population health by analyzing data from 24 OECD countries for a time period of 31 years. Specifically, I test for health effects as a result of within-country variations in the generosity of minimum wages, which are measured by the Kaitz index. The paper finds that higher levels of minimum wages are associated with significant reductions of overall mortality rates as well as in the number of deaths due to outcomes that have been shown to be more prevalent among individuals with low socioeconomic status (e.g., diabetes, disease of the circulatory system, stroke). A 10% point increase of the Kaitz index is associated with significant declines in death rates and an increase in life expectancy of 0.44 years. Furthermore, I provide evidence for potential channels through which minimum wages impact population health by showing that more generous minimum wages impact outcomes such as poverty, the share of the population with unmet medical needs, the number of doctor consultations, tobacco consumption, calorie intake, and the likelihood of people being overweight.

Suggested Citation

  • Otto Lenhart, 2017. "The impact of minimum wages on population health: evidence from 24 OECD countries," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(8), pages 1031-1039, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujhec:v:18:y:2017:i:8:d:10.1007_s10198-016-0847-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10198-016-0847-5
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    2. Umedjon Ibragimov & Stephanie Beane & Samuel R Friedman & Kelli Komro & Adaora A Adimora & Jessie K Edwards & Leslie D Williams & Barbara Tempalski & Melvin D Livingston & Ronald D Stall & Gina M Wing, 2019. "States with higher minimum wages have lower STI rates among women: Results of an ecological study of 66 US metropolitan areas, 2003-2015," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Laetitia Lebihan, 2023. "Minimum wages and health: evidence from European countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 85-107, March.
    4. Leigh, J. Paul, 2021. "Treatment design, health outcomes, and demographic categories in the literature on minimum wages and health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    5. Lucas Hafner & Benjamin Lochner, 2022. "Do minimum wages improve self-rated health? Evidence from a natural experiment," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(6), pages 2989-3014, June.
    6. David Neumark, 2024. "The effects of minimum wages on (almost) everything? A review of recent evidence on health and related behaviors," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 38(1), pages 1-65, March.
    7. Vladimíra Žofčinová & Zuzana Horváthová & Andrea Čajková, 2018. "Selected Social Policy Instruments in Relation to Tax Policy," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-13, November.
    8. Du Juan & Leigh J. Paul, 2018. "Effects of Minimum Wages on Absence from Work Due to Illness," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-23, January.
    9. Nicholas A. Ashford & Ralph P. Hall & Johan Arango-Quiroga & Kyriakos A. Metaxas & Amy L. Showalter, 2020. "Addressing Inequality: The First Step Beyond COVID-19 and Towards Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-43, July.
    10. Otto Lenhart, 2020. "Pathways Between Minimum Wages and Health: The Roles of Health Insurance, Health Care Access and Health Care Utilization," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 438-459, June.
    11. Susan L. Prescott & Alan C. Logan, 2018. "Larger Than Life: Injecting Hope into the Planetary Health Paradigm," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, March.
    12. Jiwei Chen, 2021. "Do minimum wage increases benefit worker health? Evidence from China," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 473-499, June.
    13. Otto Lenhart, 2019. "Higher Wages, Less Gym Time? The Effects of Minimum Wages on Time Use," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(1), pages 253-270, July.

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