Comparing the Performance of Health Systems in Providing Life Expectancy

Adam Lenart, Max Planck Odense Center and University of Southern Denmark
Elizaveta Sopina, Centre for Applied Health Services Research and University of Southern Denmark
Virginia Zarulli, Max Planck Odense Center

The health systems of lower and higher level of life expectancy countries should not be compared with each other. Data envelopment analysis, a tool seldom used in demography or public health provides an objective framework for such a comparison. Data on OECD member nations suggest that irrespectively of which life expectancy group a country belongs to, higher expenditure, higher level of education, less tobacco consumption and higher level of preventive and curative care lead to increases in life expectancy. Moreover, benchmarking the performance of a country’s health system can help policymakers in setting achievable goals.