Abstract: This study examines the impact of income inequality on population health using data from 138 countries from 2010 to 2019. Employing the Generalized Method of Moments estimation, the findings reveal that income inequality negatively affects population health, with widening income inequality leading to a decline in population health. To explore the potential heterogeneity, the full sample is divided into three subsamples based on income levels. The results indicate that the impact of income inequality on population health varies across different income groups. In middle-income countries, income inequality significantly harms population health, whereas in low-income and high-income countries, the effect is not statistically significant. This finding suggests that middle-income countries should pay more attention to income distribution issues to reduce health inequality and improve population health.

Key words: income inequality, population health, generalized method of moments, income level 

JEL code: I24, I10