Public health expenditure in Spain: is there partisan behaviour?

This study examines the disparities in the evolution of Spanish regional public health expenditures from 1991 to 2010. We find that the recent development of the Spanish regional public health system have led the regions to reflect a very heterogeneous pattern of behaviour. These differences depend on economic and demographic factors, but also on the ideology of the regional governments. The longer a region is governed by a right-wing party, the lower the public health expenditure. This result suggests the presence of clear partisan behaviour in the Spanish public health system.