Examining the impact of ecological footprint on life expectancy in the MENA countries: a panel threshold analysis

This study examines the environmental and socioeconomic determinants of health outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between environmental degradation as proxied by ecological footprint and life expectancy at birth. We analyze data from 20 MENA countries for the 2000–2022 period using pooled ordinary least squares and (static and dynamic) panel threshold regressions. We find ecological footprint to be associated with 1.159-year decrease in average life expectancy for the region. However, when our sample is decomposed into oil- and non-oil exporters, we find ecological footprint to have a positive effect on life expectancy for the former group and a negative effect for the latter. This result emphasizes contextual heterogeneity. Our threshold regression results show a non-linear effect of ecological footprint on life expectancy. These results are robust for alternative environmental proxies such as carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, we find that improvements in gross domestic product (per capita), information communication technology, healthcare expenditure and urbanization improve average life expectancy. Meanwhile, other determinants such as unemployment, the recent Coronavirus pandemic and geo-political instability in the region impaired life expectancy. Our findings highlight tangible health costs in relation to environmental degradation that requires targeted socioeconomic policies to enhance public health in the region.