Restoring Britain’s health to 2014 levels could add 2% to GDP, thinktank says

City workers take a break at lunchtime. The report argues improving the nation’s health would boost economic growth and the public finances. Photograph: Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty Images

Restoring the deteriorating health of the UK’s population to the level of 2014 would boost GDP by 2% and generate a £72bn dividend for the public finances, research suggests.

A paper by the Health Foundation thinktank, published on Sunday, argues the nation’s health should be valued by policymakers as an economic asset.