Income Inequality and Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria

Chidiogo J. Okpala; Onyinyechi F. Okpala

doi:10.56201/ijssmr.vol.12no7.2026.pg715.734

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Income Inequality and Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria

Chidiogo J. Okpala, Onyinyechi F. Okpala

Abstract

Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria has remained low despite periods of economic growth and rising government expenditure. This study empirically examines the relationship between income inequality and life expectancy at birth in Nigeria from 1994 to 2023. Specifically, it investigates the short-run and long-run effects of inequality on longevity, while also assessing the influence of per capita income and infant mortality. Using annual secondary data from the World Bank and National Bureau of Statistics, the study applied descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag bounds testing technique to analyze the data. The findings reveal that income inequality reduces life expectancy at birth, with the effect more pronounced in the long run, confirming that widening income gaps erode population health. Infant mortality was also found to have a strong and consistent negative effect, confirming it as a major barrier to improved longevity. Surprisingly, per capita income had a negative association with life expectancy at birth, suggesting that income growth has not translated into better health outcomes due to poor distribution. Adult literacy had a modest positive effect, while government expenditure on health improved life expectancy at birth in the short run but showed inefficiency in the long run. The study concludes that reducing inequality, tackling infant mortality, improving efficiency in health spending, and promoting inclusive growth are critical pathways for raising life expectancy at birth in Nigeria.

Keywords

life expectancy at birthinfant mortalityincome inequality1: Introduction Life expectancy at birth is defined as the average number of years a newborn is expected to live. It is stated that it is

References

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Income Inequality and Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria

Abstract

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