Factors affecting life expectancy in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Relevance. Life expectancy is a comprehensive indicator reflecting the quality of life in a country or region, which is why it is important to estimate the impact of various socio-economic factors on this indicator as accurately as possible. Our study makes a novel contribution to the existing research by conducting a correlation and regression analysis of factors affecting life expectancy in regions of Kazakhstan based on panel data. Research objective. This paper aims to present a modified methodology for estimation of factors affecting life expectancy in regions of Kazakhstan. Data and methods. Our research relies on panel data on regions and cities of Kazakhstan. The data are provided by the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Methodologically, the research is based on regression and correlation analysis. The two main criteria were applied for data selection: availability of statistical data for a sufficiently long period and the potential impact of factors on life expectancy. We built a two-factor power regression model calculated with the help of software package Microsoft Excel. Results. In our research, regression models were used to formulate conclusions concerning the impact of certain socio-economic factors on life expectancy in regions of Kazakhstan. We also brought to light the factors whose relationship to life expectancy requires further investigation. Conclusions. It was found that the most significant factors affecting life expectancy in regions of Kazakhstan are economic ones. The proposed methodology can be used for short- and medium-term predictions of life expectancy.