The Impact of Female and Male Human Capital Inequality on Life Expectancy at Birth

In the past decades, economists have focused on human capital and its effects on economic growth and development. In recent decade they concentrated on gender human capital inequality and its role on economic growth. The literature points out a discouraging effect of inequality among women on growth. In the first step higher inequality in education among women is responsible for lower life expectancy at birth. In the second step, lower life expectancy at birth is partly responsible for low growth and development. In this research the human capital Gini coefficient was used to measure human capital inequality among female and male. It was found that the inequality has declined in the world including Iran. Furthermore, in the developing countries, the lower the inequality among female and male, the more the life expectancy at birth appeared to improve. Moreover, within – country the lower human capital inequality measured by human capital Gini coefficient among women led to higher life expectancy at birth than men.