An empirical investigation of the effects of health and education on income distribution and poverty in Islamic countries

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of health and education on incomerndistribution and poverty in selected Islamic countries.rnDesign/methodology/approach - A model of income inequality along with a model of poverty,rnwith same explanatory variables, are specified. In these models, the main variables are income level,rnhealth status, the level of education and the level of savings. The models are estimated using a panelrndata set for 37 Islamic countries covering eight time periods.rnFindings - The results show that boosting the health and education status in Islamic countries willrnreduce income inequality and poverty in Islamic countries.rnPractical implications - The results of the empirical examination will help governments in Muslimrnworld to identify areas that need to be improved upon in order to reduce income inequality andrnalleviate poverty.rnOriginality/value - The paper is the first of its kind, which provides empirical evidence that thernhealth and education status is negatively associated with income inequality and poverty in Islamicrncountries.