Assignment Task

Table 1 shows data on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, at constant 2015 US$), population (millions), government expenditure (constant 2015 US$), and government expenditure on health as a share of government expenditure for the countries of Cuba and Nigeria in 2014 and 2018, respectively.

Table 1.

Table 1 Notes

• GDP (constant 2015 US $): Gross Domestic Product in the US $ at constant 2015 prices, billions (1,000,000,000).
• Population (total): Total population, millions (1,000,000).
• Please note that GDP data is measured in billions (1,000,000,000), while population is measured in millions (1,000,000).
• Government expenditure (constant 2015 US$) = general government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$)
• Government expenditure on health (% Government expenditure) = domestic general government health expenditure (% of general government expenditure).
• Government expenditure on health (% of GDP) = domestic general government health expenditure (% of GDP).
• The data in Table 1 are rounded to one decimal place.
• The data in Table 1 was retrieved in February 2022. Please be aware that due to World Bank data updates, there may be some slight variation in the current online data for the economic indicators in Table 1.

Using the data in Table 1 answers the following questions

1. Comparing Cuba and Nigeria, which country had the larger GDP and GDP per capita in 2014 and 2018 (measured at constant 2015 US$)? Include your workings and report your answers to 1 decimal place.
2. How did government expenditure per capita change between 2014 and 2018 in Cuba and Nigeria, respectively? You will first have to calculate government expenditure per capita and will then have to calculate the percentage change over this period. Include your workings and report your answers to 1 decimal place. 
3. Comparing Cuba and Nigeria, whose country’s government spent more resources in billions (at constant 2015 US$) on health in 2014 and in 2018? How does government health expenditure per capita (at constant 2015 US$) compare in Cuba and Nigeria in 2014 and 2018? Include your workings and report your answers to 1 decimal place.

Question 2

The data from Table 1 was sourced from the World Bank’s Open Data website (2022). We would like you to use the same website to retrieve data for another country.

a. Using the World Bank website, collect data on population, government expenditure and government expenditure on health as shown in Table 1 for New Zealand for the years 2014 and 2018. You may find it helpful to fill in Table 2 (below) with the data you retrieve.

b. Calculate New Zealand’s government expenditure on health per capita (constant 2015 US$) in 2014 and 2018. How do government health expenditure per capita (at constant 2015 US$) in New Zealand compare to levels in Cuba and Nigeria in 2014 and 2018? Include your workings and report your answers to 1 decimal place.

Table 2

Question 3

Outline one economic argument for and one economic argument against the government’s provision of free healthcare. Outline one economic argument for and one economic argument against the government’s provision of free healthcare. Outline one economic argument for and one economic argument against the government’s provision of free healthcare.