Study on the Impact of Government Health Expenditure Equity on Residents’ Health Level in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle of China

Abstract

Background: When the global COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread, residents pay more attention to their health. This paper studies the relationship between the equity of government health expenditure and the health level of residents. Methods: The Theil index and a principal component analysis were used to measure the equity of government health expenditure and the health level of residents in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle. Then, an empirical study on the relationship between the equity of government health expenditure and the health level of residents in this region was conducted with the System GMM model. Results: 1. The Theil index rose from 0.0115 in 2015 to 0.0231 in 2017 and gradually decreased to 0.0106 in 2020. 2. The overall health level of residents showed an upward trend, rising from 1.95 in 2015 to 2.33 in 2017, then remained high and fluctuated slightly. 3. There was a positive correlation between the Theil index and the health level of residents at a significance level of 1% (β = 0.903, p < 0.01). Conclusions: 1. The Theil index was close to 0, indicating that the equity of government health expenditure in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle was generally good. 2. The health level of residents in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle had improved compared to before. 3. The fairer the government’s health expenditure, the higher the residents’ health level.