Inequality in infrastructure access and its association with health disparities

Ying Tu, Bin Chen (), Chuan Liao (), Shengbiao Wu, Jiafu An, Chen Lin, Peng Gong, Bin Chen, Hong Wei and Bing Xu ()
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Ying Tu: Tsinghua University
Bin Chen: The University of Hong Kong
Chuan Liao: Cornell University
Shengbiao Wu: The University of Hong Kong
Jiafu An: The University of Hong Kong
Chen Lin: The University of Hong Kong
Peng Gong: The University of Hong Kong
Bin Chen: Beijing Normal University
Hong Wei: Tsinghua University
Bing Xu: Tsinghua University

Nature Human Behaviour, 2025, vol. 9, issue 8, 1669-1682

Abstract: Abstract Economic, social and environmental infrastructure forms a fundamental pillar of societal development. Ensuring equitable access to infrastructure for all residents is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, yet knowledge gaps remain in infrastructure accessibility and inequality and their associations with human health. Here we generate gridded maps of economic, social and environmental infrastructure distribution and apply population-weighted exposure models and mixed-effects regressions to investigate differences in population access to infrastructure and their health implications across 166 countries. The results reveal contrasting inequalities in infrastructure access across regions and infrastructure types. Global South countries experience only 50–80% of the infrastructure access of Global North countries, whereas their associated inequality levels are 9–44% higher. Both infrastructure access and inequality are linked to health outcomes, with this relationship being especially pronounced in economic infrastructure. These findings underscore the necessity of informed decision-making to rectify infrastructure disparities for promoting human well-being.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02208-3

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