Preston Curve

Preston Curve

Context: The Preston Curve indicates the impact of economic growth on development indicators like healthcare and education.

What is Preston Curve?

• The Preston curve (proposed by Samuel H. Preston in 1975) refers to the empirical relationship between life expectancy and per capita income in a country. It illustrates that as a country’s per capita income increases, there is an initial significant rise in life expectancy.

• But, this relationship tends to flatten out after a certain point, suggesting that further increases in income may not lead to substantial improvements in life expectancy beyond a certain threshold.

• According to the Preston curve, the increase in life expectancy in wealthier countries can be attributed to development factors such as better access to healthcare, higher levels of education, cleaner living environments, improved nutrition, and overall higher standards of living.

• In India, the average annual per capita income rose from around ₹9,000 in 1947 to around ₹55,000 in 2011. During the same period, the average life expectancy increased from 32 to over 66 years.