Background Acceptance of Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) as a measure of health summary and progression has increased over the years, which in turn has instigated comparative analysis studies of DALY across time and geography. Thus, it is important to explore methodological underpinnings of comparative analysis. Results A crude comparison of disease burden across time or space may mislead the interpretation of the health system’s performance because the quantum and pattern of DALY can be influenced by the age structure of the society. A significant proportion of this burden is due to the Years of Life Lost (YLL) component. The paper proposes a mathematical exposition to decompose the change in YLL over time or region into burden attributed to a) population age structure, b) death rate, and c) age at death gradient. Conclusion We reasoned that the death rate and age at death burden gradient signify the real contribution of the health systems. Hence, the method of decomposition can be utilized to measure the health service progression of a region in real terms.

The Canada health transfer (CHT), the Canada social transfer (CST), and the equalization program are the main pillars of intergovernmental transfers in Canada. These transfers aim to address the vertical and horizontal fiscal imbalances that arise within the Canadian federation. This article provides a framework for the decomposition of federal transfers into their vertical and horizontal components. The empirical analysis is carried out for the period 1983-2018, which is divided into seven subperiods for analytical purposes. The results for the most recent subperiod, 2015-2018, show that (1) vertical, horizontal, and surplus transfers account for 74.85, 24.27, and 0.88 percent, respectively, of the total federal transfers; (2) the federal transfers addressed nearly 77 percent of the initial horizontal fiscal inequalities; (3) the equalization program is the primary channel for reducing horizontal fiscal inequalities, accounting for 85 percent of the total horizontal transfers; and (4) the CHT and CST have effectively become a channel for vertical transfers, contributing little toward horizontal equalization. In this context, there is potential for reform in the federal transfer system. The author suggests that vertical fiscal imbalances could be reduced by transferring tax points to provinces instead of providing specific-purpose transfers. The author also argues that immediate reforms are required in the fiscal stabilization program to address the concerns of oil-producing provinces that face a revenue shortfall because of the decline in oil prices.

For large economies with substantial regional variation, it is of great importance for policymakers and economic analysis that macro‐economic statistics are broken down by region. This paper reviews the regional accounts in India, discusses their role in Indian federal and state policies, and provides new estimates to cover major data gaps. Statistics on domestic product by Indian state, broken down by industry, are regularly published. But despite demands and recommendations by various commissions and policymakers, a comprehensive system of regional accounts is yet to be developed. New estimates for the period 1993–2010 are presented for saving and the macro‐economic expenditure by Indian states, like final consumption, capital formation, and trade balance. They show, for example, that some of the fastest growing Indian states have increased their saving and investment rates to 50 percent of their domestic product.