»Reiche leben bis zu 15 Jahre länger als die Ärmsten«

Gaps in life expectancy by income increased between 2001 and 2014. Life expectancy did not change for individuals in the bottom 5% of the income distribution, whereas it increased by about 3 years for men and women in the top 5% of income distribution. These changes varied significantly across areas. The gap in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income quartiles decreased in some areas, such as areas within New Jersey and Alabama, but increased by more than 3 years in other areas, such as areas within Florida.Correlational analysis of the differences in life expectancy across geographic areas did not provide strong support for 4 leading explanations for socioeconomic differences in longevity: differences in access to medical care (as measured by health insurance coverage and proxies for the quality and quantity of primary care), environmental differences (as measured by residential segregation), adverse effects of inequality (as measured by Gini indices), and labor market conditions (as measured by unemployment rates). Rather, most of the variation in life expectancy across areas was related to differences in health behaviors, including smoking, obesity, and exercise. Individuals in the lowest income quartile have more healthful behaviors and live longer in areas with more immigrants, higher home prices, and more college graduates.

In the United States between 2001 and 2014, higher income was associated with greater longevity, and differences in life expectancy across income groups increased over time. However, the association between life expectancy and income varied substantially across areas; differences in longevity across income groups decreased in some areas and increased in others. The differences in life expectancy were correlated with health behaviors and local area characteristics.