IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/tei/journl/v15y2022i3p7-23.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interest Charges and the “Said†Ageing-related Expenditures: A Study of OECD Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Zapji Ymélé Aimé Philombe

    (Department of public finance and taxation, University of Mons/Belgium)

Abstract

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the interest charges on public debt could be a threat for the "said" ageing expenditures. This study attempts to analyze the effects of debt burdens known as interest charges in relation to the pensions and health care spending. The "said" ageing expenditures since the debate on this issue doesn’t allow us to say that these expenses are totally linked to ageing. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducts an ordinary least squares analysis based on panel and cross-sectional data covering the period 2000-2020. The data are extracted from OECD statistic and from Eurostat statistic database. The research performs an analysis on 33 OECD countries.The dependents variables are pensions and health care spendings on GDP. The key independent variable is the interest charges. Other additional variables are included in the analysis that we can find in the text. Findings: The results of this study remain ambiguous and call for further study. Nevertheless, based on the current data, there is every reason to believe that, at present, expenditures on interest charges would not crowd out spending on pensions and health care. However, the significance of the demographic variables (old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio), and the increase in these ratios in the projections, point to a potential risk of collapse of the pension and health care systems. Research limitations/implications: The main difficulty encountered in this study was the collection of empirical literature dealing with our topic. Many papers used in our empirical literature was not always in relation with the topic of our research. Our challenge was to create the relation with those analyses to propose something original. Originality/value: We propose an innovative study, by proposing the analysis of debt charges in relation to pensions and health care expenditures. Several approaches in the same direction have used other parameters to analyze the costs of ageing, notably the debt to GDP ratio. We integrate other demographic variables such as the dependency ratio, macroeconomic indicators such as the savings rate. All these elements constitute the originality of our study.

Suggested Citation

  • Zapji Ymélé Aimé Philombe, 2022. "Interest Charges and the “Said†Ageing-related Expenditures: A Study of OECD Countries," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 15(3), pages 7-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:tei:journl:v:15:y:2022:i:3:p:7-23
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ijbesar.af.duth.gr/docs/volume15_issue3/15_03_01.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ijbesar.af.duth.gr/volume15_issue3.php
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hartwig, Jochen, 2008. "What drives health care expenditure?--Baumol's model of 'unbalanced growth' revisited," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 603-623, May.
    2. Grech, Aaron George, 2010. "Assessing the sustainability of pension reforms in Europe," MPRA Paper 27407, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Davide Bazzana, 2020. "Ageing population and pension system sustainability: reforms and redistributive implications," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(3), pages 971-992, October.
    4. Helmut Herwartz & Bernd Theilen, 2003. "The determinants of health care expenditure: testing pooling restrictions in small samples," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(2), pages 113-124, February.
    5. María del Carmen Ramos-Herrera & Simón Sosvilla-Rivero, 2020. "Fiscal Sustainability in Aging Societies: Evidence from Euro Area Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-20, December.
    6. repec:cai:popine:popu_p1986_41n6_1070 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Ondøej Schneider, 2009. "Reforming Pensions in Europe: Economic Fundamentals and Political Factors," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 59(4), pages 292-308, Oktober.
    8. Nicolas Afflatet, 2018. "The Impact of Population Ageing on Public Debt: A Panel Data Analysis for 18 European Countries," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 8(4), pages 68-77.
    9. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3881 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Alan J. Auerbach & Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Robert Hagemann & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 1989. "The Dynamics of an Aging Population: The Case of Four OECD Countries," NBER Working Papers 2797, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Assaf Razin & Efraim Sadka & Phillip Swagel, 2002. "The Aging Population and the Size of the Welfare State," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(4), pages 900-918, August.
    12. W. Melyn & L. Van Meensel & S. Van Parys, 2016. "The sustainability of public finances in the context of population ageing," Economic Review, National Bank of Belgium, issue iii, pages 87-103, December.
    13. Joseph P. Newhouse, 2001. "Medical Care Price Indices: Problems and Opportunities / The Chung-Hua Lectures," NBER Working Papers 8168, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Marianne Tenand, 2014. "Vieillissement démographique : la hausse des dépenses de santé est-elle inexorable ?," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-01294944, HAL.
    15. Brigitte Dormont & Michel Grignon & Hélène Huber, 2006. "Health expenditure growth: reassessing the threat of ageing," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(9), pages 947-963, September.
    16. Heikki Oksanen, 2009. "Saving in an ageing society with public pensions: implications from lifecycle analysis," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 370, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    17. Joseph P. Newhouse, 1977. "Medical-Care Expenditure: A Cross-National Survey," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 12(1), pages 115-125.
    18. W. M. T. Westerhout, 2006. "Does Ageing Call for a Reform of the Health Care Sector?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 52(1), pages 1-31, March.
    19. Richard Disney, 1996. "Ageing and saving," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 17(2), pages 83-101, May.
    20. Hitiris, Theo & Posnett, John, 1992. "The determinants and effects of health expenditure in developed countries," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 173-181, August.
    21. Newhouse, Joseph P, 1987. "Health Economics and Econometrics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(2), pages 269-274, May.
    22. Lindgren, Björn, 2016. "The Rise in Life Expectancy, Health Trends among the Elderly, and the Demand for Health and Social Care," Working Papers 142, National Institute of Economic Research.
    23. repec:dau:papers:123456789/8396 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Amalia Cristescu, 2019. "The Impact Of The Aging Population On The Sustainability Of Public Finances," Romanian Journal of Regional Science, Romanian Regional Science Association, vol. 13(2), pages 52-67, DECEMBER.
    25. Joseph P. Newhouse, 1992. "Medical Care Costs: How Much Welfare Loss?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 3-21, Summer.
    26. Heikki Oksanen, 2016. "Coping with the effects of population ageing on public finances in the European Union and China," Economic and Political Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(4), pages 368-396, October.
    27. Trandafir Adina, 2017. "Affecting the Sustainability of Public Finances by the Social Measures Adopted in Romania between 2006 and 2017," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 676-682, December.
    28. Geert Langenus, 2006. "Fiscal sustainability indicators and policy design in the face of ageing," Working Paper Research 102, National Bank of Belgium.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fabio Pammolli & Francesco Porcelli & Francesco Vidoli & Monica Auteri & Guido Borà, 2017. "La spesa sanitaria delle Regioni in Italia - Saniregio2017," Working Papers CERM 01-2017, Competitività, Regole, Mercati (CERM).
    2. Vidoli, Francesco & Auteri, Monica, 2022. "Health-care demand and supply at municipal level: A spatial disaggregation approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Błażej Łyszczarz, 2018. "Determinanty wydatków na zdrowie w gospodarstwach domowych w Polsce," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 137-157.
    4. Baltagi, Badi H. & Moscone, Francesco, 2010. "Health care expenditure and income in the OECD reconsidered: Evidence from panel data," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 804-811, July.
    5. Moheddine Younsi & Marwa Bechtini & Mongi Lassoued, 2024. "The relationship between insurance development, population, economic growth, and health expenditures in OECD countries: a panel causality analysis," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Po-Chin Wu & Shiao-Yen Liu & Sheng-Chieh Pan, 2014. "Does Misery Index Matter for the Persistence of Health Spending? Evidence from OECD Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 893-910, September.
    7. Badi H. Baltagi & Raffaele Lagravinese & Francesco Moscone & Elisa Tosetti, 2017. "Health Care Expenditure and Income: A Global Perspective," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(7), pages 863-874, July.
    8. Moheddine Younsi & Mohamed Chakroun & Amine Nafla, 2016. "Robust analysis of the determinants of healthcare expenditure growth: evidence from panel data for low-, middle- and high-income countries," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 580-601, October.
    9. Felipa de Mello-Sampayo & Sofia de Sousa-Vale, 2014. "Financing Health Care Expenditure in the OECD Countries: Evidence from a Heterogeneous, Cross-Sectional Dependent Panel," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 61(2), pages 207-225.
    10. Hartwig, Jochen, 2008. "What drives health care expenditure?--Baumol's model of 'unbalanced growth' revisited," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 603-623, May.
    11. Thomas Barnay & Olivier Damette, 2012. "What drives Health Care Expenditure in France since 1950? A time-series study with structural breaks and nonlinearity approaches," Working Papers halshs-00856117, HAL.
    12. Chakroun, Mohamed, 2009. "Health care expenditure and GDP: An international panel smooth transition approach," MPRA Paper 14322, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Keegan, Conor & Brick, Aoife & Bergin, Adele & Wren, Maev-Ann & Whyte, Richard & Henry, Edward, 2020. "Projections of expenditure for public hospitals in Ireland, 2018–2035, based on the Hippocrates Model," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS117.
    14. Potrafke, Niklas, 2010. "The growth of public health expenditures in OECD countries: Do government ideology and electoral motives matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 797-810, December.
    15. Fan, Victoria Y. & Savedoff, William D., 2014. "The health financing transition: A conceptual framework and empirical evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 112-121.
    16. Carsten Colombier, 2018. "Population ageing in healthcare – a minor issue? Evidence from Switzerland," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(15), pages 1746-1760, March.
    17. Marwa Farag & A. NandaKumar & Stanley Wallack & Dominic Hodgkin & Gary Gaumer & Can Erbil, 2012. "The income elasticity of health care spending in developing and developed countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 145-162, June.
    18. Héctor Bellido & Lorena Olmos & Juan Antonio Román-Aso, 2019. "Do political factors influence public health expenditures? Evidence pre- and post-great recession," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(3), pages 455-474, April.
    19. Chin-Piao Yeh & Ai-Chi Hsu & Wei-Hsien & Kuang-Cheng Chai, 2014. "Neural Network Forecasts of Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance Expenditires," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 8(5), pages 95-114.
    20. María del Carmen Ramos-Herrera & Simón Sosvilla-Rivero, 2020. "Fiscal Sustainability in Aging Societies: Evidence from Euro Area Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-20, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ageing; pensions; health care; interest charges;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tei:journl:v:15:y:2022:i:3:p:7-23. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kostas Stergidis (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dbikagr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.