The impact of GDP and CO2 emissions on domestic general government health expenditure per capita. Evidence from 166 countries

The main purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and carbon dioxide emissions and domestic general government health expenditure per capita (GGHE_D_PC) for 166 countries in the period 2000–2020. In this research we use the ordinary least squares (OLS) method, quantile regression analysis, log-log models, and the multivariate comparative analysis method, in addition to other techniques such as the augmented Dickey–Fuller test, Johansen cointegration, Autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity test, etc. According to the OLS method the research results show a positive direct impact of Gross domestic product on domestic general government health expenditure per capita, with an increase of 1 % in GDP for sample countries leading to an increase in on domestic general government health expenditure per capita of 0.337 %. Additionally, the results show that carbon dioxide emissions have direct positively affected domestic general government health expenditure per capita growth, an increase of 1 % in carbon dioxide emissions for sample countries can cause an increase in domestic general government health expenditure per capita of 0.3495 %. To investigate the impact of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions on domestic general government health expenditure per capita outside the OLS mean, we used quantile regression analysis at 20 levels (percentiles). The results show that the increase in GDP and carbon emissions is accompanied by an increase in general government spending on health care per capita in the high-income and developed countries in absolute units (in $US for GDP and in kilotons of CO2 emissions) at a higher rate than in the least developed and developing countries, but in percentage terms the situation is the opposite, with the percentage growth rate is highest in developing and least developed countries. Despite this high rate in these countries, and the flow of international aid to the health sector in these countries, the issue of increasing spending on health care per capita remains a fundamental problem due to limited sources of income, the high prevalence of poverty, weak health immunity and low health awareness of the population, and the spread of epidemics in many developing and least developed countries. © 2025 The Authors