The study examines the link between corruption and mortality.
The authors find that corruption is associated with higher mortality, particularly in low-income countries. Corruption is also linked with weaker fiscal capacity, reduced government funding for health care, distorted resource allocation, and patterns consistent with misallocation of public funds. Additionally, the association between corruption and mortality varies across levels of public goods provision.
The study draws on country-level data from 102 countries spanning 2008-2018. They use econometric methods, including instrumental variables and the Mundlak approach. To mitigate endogeneity concerns, they employ an instrumental variable approach based on ancestry and oral tradition, using historical cultural factors plausibly related to contemporary corruption levels.
The study expands existing research on social determinants of health by highlighting the relevance of institutional and political factors for population health. Addressing corruption could be recognized as a public health priority, given its association with health financing and population health. The Sustainable Development Goals on combating corruption and improving health are found to be complementary.
KYRIOPOULOS, I., MINOS, D., VANDOROS, S. and MOSSIALOS, E. (2026), How Corruption Influences Population Health. Milbank Quarterly., 104: 198-219.
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