Term: Provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Per Capita

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2007-09-26

Definition:

The GDP is a relative measure of the wealth of the individual provinces. If provincial health expenditures are a function of need for health care, one might expect the residents of poorer provinces to have poorer health status and require higher health care expenditures than provinces where the population is relatively more wealthy. On the other hand, if expenditures reflect the ability to spend, as with housing prices, we might expect provinces with greater wealth to have higher expenditures.

References 

• Shanahan M, Gousseau C. Interprovincial Comparisons of Health Care Expenditures. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, 1997. [Report] [Summary] (View)