Determinants of life expectancy in India: an empirical analysis

Background: The study examined the socioeconomic determinants of life expectancy in India through trend analysis and econometric investigation using time series data derived from the world development indicators (WDI) database of the World Bank. It focused on key variables such as life expectancy at birth, GDP per capita, current health expenditure, infant mortality rates and population growth during the period (1990-2025). Methods: The study employed trend analysis to examine the changes in the selected variables over time and utilizes the autoregressive distributed lag-error correction model (ARDL-ECM) framework to investigate the long run and short run relationship between life expectancy and its socio-economic determinants. Results: The findings uncover substantial improvement in life expectancy alongside significant decline in infant mortality rates and steady growth in GDP per capita, thereby reflecting gradual progress in public health and socioeconomic development. The econometric analysis using the ARDL-ECM framework confirmed the existence of long run relationship between life expectancy, GDP per capita, and current health expenditure. The results further indicated that economic growth significantly contributes towards enhancing life expectancy, suggesting that public spending without efficient governance, equitable healthcare accessibility, and institutional effectiveness may not sufficiently improve the health outcomes. Conclusions: The study concluded that sustainable developments in life expectancy in India require integrated developmental policies, necessitating the need for economic growth, strengthened healthcare systems, reduced infant mortality, and equitable public health infrastructure.