Economic development and health improvement: mutual support in the historical UK (1541-2001)

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the mutual disruption and support of economic growth and health improvement in the last 500 years in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general review and it compares institutional development, public policy, technological advances and scientific discoveries in economic growth with those in health improvement.FindingsThe paper finds the co-existence of slower economic growth and less increasing life expectancy from 1541 to 1871 and that of faster economic growth and rising life expectancy from 1871 to 2001. It is organized health improvement that effectively propelled economic growth in the time span of 1871-2001.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may contribute to the literature on mutual enhancement between economic growth and health improvement.Practical implicationsThe findings may also provide implications to the policy makers how important organized health improvement is to economic growth.Social implicationsThe findings show that when UK Government was leading in organized health improvement for the population, economic grown got propelled into a faster lane.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to unveil that a socially responsible government has permanent impact on the paths of both economic and social growth. It has value to other researchers attempting to understand the mutual disruption and support of economic growth and health improvement in the historical UK.