Economic growth and health progress in England and Wales: 160 years of a changing relation

► Economic growth and health progress in England and Wales are analyzed in 1840-2000. ► The increase in life expectancy at birth (LEB) or the decrease in mortality rates are used as indicators of health progress. ► A negative relation is found between GDP growth and health progress - the lower the rate of growth of the economy, the greater the annual increase in LEB for both males and females. ► The effect is much stronger in 1900-1950 than in 1950-2000, and is very weak in the 19th century, and appears basically at lag zero. ► These results add to an emerging consensus that mortality rates drop faster during recessions than during expansions.