Investigating factors affecting Iranian economic growth with emphasis on health expenditure and food inflation

Achieving proper economic growth and understanding the factors affecting it are among the most important goals of macroeconomics. New studies show the high impact of health, education and food inflation on economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of food inflation and health expenditures on Iranian economic growth during the years 1974-2015. In this regard, the simultaneous effect of food inflation and health expenditures on economic growth was evaluated by using ARDL method. The results showed that food inflation had a negative effect on economic growth but health expenditures had a positive and significant effect on economic growth. Also, the results showed that the literacy rate, capital and labor taking part had a positive and significant effect on economic growth. The error correction model factor represents a good modulation rate. Other results showed that the coefficients were stable.