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The Impact of Income Inequality on Mortality: A Replication Study of Leigh & Jencks (Journal of Health Economics, 2007)

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Abstract

This study replicates Leigh and Jencks’ (2007) analysis of the relationship between income inequality and mortality. Using L&J’s preferred specification, I am able to closely reproduce their original findings after reconstructing their data from original sources. When I use multiple imputation instead of their method of linear interpolation, I largely confirm their results. When I extend their data from 2003 to 2018, I again do not find a significant relationship between income inequality and mortality. As a result, I conclude that my replication exercise confirms L&J’s results, providing even stronger evidence for the view that income inequality is not adversely related to mortality.

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  • Weilun Wu, 2022. "The Impact of Income Inequality on Mortality: A Replication Study of Leigh & Jencks (Journal of Health Economics, 2007)," Working Papers in Economics 22/01, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:cbt:econwp:22/01
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Atkinson, A. B. & Piketty, Thomas (ed.), 2010. "Top Incomes: A Global Perspective," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199286898.
    2. Facundo Alvaredo & Lucas Chancel & Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, 2017. "Global Inequality Dynamics: New Findings from WID.world," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 404-409, May.
    3. Facundo Alvaredo & Anthony Atkinson & Lucas Chancel & Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, 2016. "Distributional National Accounts (DINA) Guidelines : Concepts and Methods used in WID.world," Working Papers halshs-02794308, HAL.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income Inequality; Health; Mortality; Multiple Imputation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative

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