The impact of an unequal distribution of education on inequalities in life expectancy

Clemens Danler,Katharina Pfaff

doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100954

Clemens Danler, Katharina Pfaff

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100954

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Abstract

Prior research has found socio-economic determinants such as education to affect health outcomes. Yet, education is not distributed equally among the population. This article attempts to quantify the impact of unequal distribution of education on inequalities in life expectancy. We calculate a Gini coefficient of longevity from the life tables provided by the Human Mortality Database and a Gini coefficient of education using data on educational attainment from Barro and Lee (2013). We estimate linear regression models to examine the relationship between inequality in education and inequality in life expectancy at the country level for up to 31 European countries between 1970 and 2010. Results provide empirical evidence for a statistically significant positive association between educational inequality and inequalities of longevity. Confounding factors reflecting individual health behaviour such as cigarette or alcohol consumption do not exert a separate statistically significant effect on inequality in life expectancy. Findings are robust to alternative calculation of key variables, dropping a potential outlier, and an alternative estimation approach. These findings suggest that not only education, but also equality in education is a crucial factor for health outcomes. Continuing efforts should be directed towards the reduction of educational inequality in order to reduce inequality in longevity within a country.

Highlights

Life expectancy has risen continuously in most high-income coun tries over the course of the 20th and 21st century (Ho & Hendi, 2018; Open & Vaupel, 2002)
As the benefits of education grow over a lifetime and persist into old age (Mirowsky & Ross, 2003), increasing the level of education is of high relevance for policy makers
Inequality in longevity, for instance, is significantly associated with greater market income inequality since income inequality is typi cally accompanied by a higher prevalence of poverty, which in turn can increase longevity inequality (Hill, 2018; Neumayer & Plümper, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Life expectancy has risen continuously in most high-income coun tries over the course of the 20th and 21st century (Ho & Hendi, 2018; Open & Vaupel, 2002). Inequality in longevity, for instance, is significantly associated with greater market income inequality since income inequality is typi cally accompanied by a higher prevalence of poverty, which in turn can increase longevity inequality (Hill, 2018; Neumayer & Plümper, 2016). In this situation, public health policies could reduce longevity inequality and income redistribution (Neumayer & Plümper, 2016)

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