Do institutions matter for citizens’ health status? Empirical evidence from Italy

M. Alessandra Antonelli () and Giorgia Marini
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M. Alessandra Antonelli: Sapienza University of Rome
Giorgia Marini: Sapienza University of Rome

The European Journal of Health Economics, 2025, vol. 26, issue 1, No 9, 95-115

Abstract: Abstract This paper investigates the role of institutional quality in explaining cross-regional variation in population health status in Italy. We first introduce a composite Regional Health Status Indicator summarizing life expectancy, mortality and morbidity data. Then, we study the empirical relationship between this indicator and a set of socioeconomic, health system and institutional controls at the Italian regional level over the period of 2011–2019. We find that institutional quality is a driver of population health. Furthermore, well-functioning local institutions and regions compliant with national standards in terms of public healthcare services (Essential Levels of Care) make socioeconomic context no longer relevant for population health, potentially reducing inequalities.

Keywords: Life expectancy; Mortality; Morbidity; Health status; Institutional quality; Italian regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H75 I10 I18 P48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10198-024-01689-9

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