Tiago Neves Sequeira

Departamento  de Gest˜ao e Economia

Universidade da  Beira  Interior

A Note on the Causality between Health and Education[1]

INOVA research  centre

Faculdade de  Economia, Universidade Nova  de Lisboa

e-mails: sequeira@ubi.pt and tms@ubi.pt

ABSTRACT. Using a panel data approach we investigate whether schooling causes health or health causes schooling. We found evidence that supports the influence of the level of health in increases in education and the influence of education growth in health improvements. This means that a healthier population enhances education growth and growth in education facilitates further growth in health. We have also concluded that the channel from health to education is stronger than the channel from education to health.

Received: April, 2011

1st Revision: May, 2011

Accepted: June, 2011

JEL Classification: I00, J24, O15, O50

Keywords: economic growth, education, health.