Heterogeneity in longevity between socioeconomic groups is increasingly documented for developed economies and is reviewed in the paper. Heterogeneity in life expectancy disaggregated by main socioeconomic characteristics A¢â‚¬â€œ such as age, gender, race, health, education, profession, income, and wealth A¢â‚¬â€œ is sizable and has not declined in recent decades. The prospects for future decline are not strong, either; perhaps even to the contrary. As heterogeneity is closely linked to income or earnings (i.e., the contribution base of earnings-related retirement income programs such as social security benefits and private sector life annuities) and as heterogeneity is empirically sizable, the result is major implicit taxes for some groups A¢â‚¬â€œparticularly the less educated and low earners A¢â‚¬â€œand major subsidies for other groups A¢â‚¬â€œ particularly highly educated individuals and high-income earners. The implications for retirement income reform and scheme design are substantial as taxes/subsidies counteract the envisaged effects of (i) a closer contribution-benefit link, (ii) a later formalretirement age to address population aging, and (iii) more individual funding and private annuities to compensate forreduced public generosity.