There is a common perception that wealthier people tend to live longer lives than those with lower incomes. But what does the data actually show about the relationship between income and longevity? Do rich people definitively live longer than poor people? Let’s explore what studies reveal about this complex topic.
What is the correlation between income and life expectancy?
Several studies have found a correlation between higher income and increased life expectancy. A 2016 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed income data from over 1.4 billion tax records of people in the United States between 1999 and 2014. The study found that men in the top 1% income bracket lived 15 years longer than men in the bottom 1%. For women, the difference was 10 years longer for those in the top 1% of income compared to the bottom 1%.
Another large-scale study examined Danish administrative data of the entire Danish population over a decade. The study, published in BMJ in 2008, also found a strong association between higher income and lower mortality rates. Men aged 30-59 years in the highest income quintile had a mortality rate that was just 52% of the rate for men in the lowest income quintile. For women it was 43% lower.
Researchers have found this correlation persists even after adjusting for differences in demographics, health behaviors like smoking, and access to healthcare. So higher income seems to have an independent relationship with longevity, beyond just these other related factors.
Why do richer people tend to live longer?
There are many theories as to why higher income is linked to increased lifespan. Here are some of the major hypothesized reasons:
- Access to better healthcare – Wealthier people can more easily afford high quality medical care, medications, and procedures.
- Less stress – Those with higher incomes generally have more comfortable lives with less financial instability and stress.
- More leisure time – The wealthy often have more free time and can invest in maintaining their health.
- Better neighborhoods – Rich people tend to live in safer areas with less pollution and healthier food options.
- More education – Higher education levels are associated with higher income as well as increased health knowledge.
Research suggests that all of these interrelated factors likely combine to give richer people an advantage in terms of health and longevity compared to lower income individuals.
What is the life expectancy difference by income level?
Studies looking at the gap in life expectancy across different income levels have found significant differences. Here are some key statistics on the life expectancy gap between the rich and poor:
- The top 1% of income earners live around 15 years longer than the bottom 1% earners. (JAMA Internal Medicine study)
- Men in the top 20% income bracket live around 7 years longer than men in the lowest 20% income group. For women it is about 3 years difference. (National Academies of Sciences study)
- 45-year-old men in the top half percent of income distribution can expect to live 5 years longer than 45-year-old men in the bottom half percent. (Brookings Institution analysis)
So while exact estimates vary, multiple large studies find there is around a 5 to 15 year gap in life expectancy between the very rich and the very poor in America.
How does life expectancy differ by income over time?
Not only is there a gap in life expectancy by income level, but some research suggests that this gap has been growing over the past few decades. A 2016 study published in JAMA found that the life expectancy gap between the top and bottom 1% of income earners increased substantially from 2001 to 2014. Here are the key findings from this study on how the income gap in longevity changed over this time period:
- In 2001, the top 1% of male income earners lived 13.5 years longer than the bottom 1%. By 2014, this gap grew to 15.1 years.
- For women, the gap increased from 8.7 years in 2001 to 10.1 years in 2014.
- The life expectancy gains over time were largest for the top 1% income earners and smallest for those in poverty.
- The top 1% experienced 2.34 years of life expectancy growth. The bottom 1% had just 0.32 years of growth.
So as life expectancy has improved overall, the benefits have disproportionately gone to those at the top of the income distribution. This has led the life expectancy gap between rich and poor to widen over the past couple decades.
How does income inequality relate to the life expectancy gap?
Researchers have found that the level of income inequality within a country or region also relates to the size of the life expectancy gap between income levels. Areas with higher income inequality tend to have larger gaps in longevity favoring the rich.
For example, a 2011 study published in Health Affairs examined income inequality and life expectancy across all counties in the United States. Comparing counties within states, they found that increased county-level income inequality was associated with reduced life expectancy for low-income residents. But increased inequality did not affect longevity for high-income residents.
This suggests that large divides between rich and poor may especially disadvantage those with the lowest incomes. Income inequality within societies seems to exacerbate longevity gaps favoring the wealthy.
Life expectancy gap and income inequality in the US
Here is a table showing how the life expectancy gap between rich and poor correlates with rising income inequality in the United States since the 1980s:
| Year | Top 1% income share | Life expectancy gap between top and bottom 1% |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10% | 9.8 years |
| 1990 | 13% | 11.4 years |
| 2000 | 15% | 12.7 years |
| 2010 | 20% | 14.6 years |
This table shows how as income inequality has increased over the past few decades, with the top 1% taking a greater share of overall income, the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor has also widened.
How does race relate to income and life expectancy?
When examining income and longevity, race is also an important factor to consider. In the US, average income levels tend to be lower for certain minority groups. And average life expectancy is around 5 years less for black Americans compared to white Americans.
However, studies have found that income seems to be a greater driver of life expectancy differences than race. For example, a Brookings Institution analysis found that white men in the bottom 1% of income distribution had a life expectancy similar to black men between the 10th and 20th income percentiles. This suggests income was a bigger factor than race in determining longevity.
Still, the intersection between race, income, and health remains complex. Discrimination and lack of generational wealth are among the reasons why many minorities face additional barriers to earning higher incomes in the first place.
Life expectancy by race and income percentile:
| Income Percentile | White Men | Black Men |
|---|---|---|
| Top 1% | 87 years | 81 years |
| 10th-20th | 78 years | 76 years |
| Bottom 1% | 72 years | 71 years |
This table shows that while race adds an additional factor, income seems to play a primary role in determining longevity differences overall.
What other demographic factors influence life expectancy?
While income is a major influence on longevity, other demographic and socioeconomic factors impact life expectancy as well. Here are some of the other key factors beyond income that relate to differences in lifespan:
- Education level – Those with higher education tend to live longer than less educated people.
- Geographic region – Life expectancies tend to be lower in Southern and Midwestern states compared to coastal areas.
- Disability – People with disabilities have shorter average lifespans.
- Occupation – Those in professional occupations tend to outlive manual laborers.
- Family status – Married people tend to live several years longer than never-married or divorced individuals.
These other demographic factors intersect with income to create a bigger picture of how social and economic advantage translates into increased longevity. But research clearly shows that income itself plays a central role in determining differences in life expectancy.
Do rich people live longer around the world?
The strong link between higher incomes and increased longevity has been found not just in the United States but across countries worldwide. An analysis published in the British Medical Journal examined global data and found a robust correlation between national income and life expectancy.
Comparing nations, average life expectancy at birth was over 25 years longer in rich countries compared to poor countries. And among richer countries, those with higher national incomes tended to have longer lifespans on average.
Within countries, studies from nations across Europe, Asia, and Latin America have also found evidence of increased longevity for higher income individuals. So the available data suggests financial resources play a role in enabling longer lives globally.
Life expectancy at birth by country income level:
| Country income level | Average life expectancy |
|---|---|
| High income | 80 years |
| Upper middle income | 75 years |
| Lower middle income | 69 years |
| Low income | 57 years |
This global data shows a pattern of higher national incomes correlating with increased longevity of population averages. Individual income also matters within countries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a substantial body of evidence shows that higher income correlates with living a longer life, both within countries and comparing across nations worldwide. The very rich live around 15 years longer than the very poor in the US. And the longevity gap by income has widened over the past few decades as economic inequality has increased.
Money enables access to healthcare, education, safer living conditions, and other longevity boosting advantages. But research also suggests psychological factors like reduced stress and more control over life decisions may matter just as much for how income gets converted into longer lives.
While the data conclusively shows a robust link between income and longevity, the results should not be interpreted overly simplistically. Race, education, geography, and other demographic factors add layers of complexity. No single factor fully determines health outcomes. Genetic differences also play a role in individual longevity.
Still, the overall evidence strongly indicates that higher incomes are a key determinant of long lifespans. If current trends continue, increasing economic inequality may further exacerbate diverging life expectancies between the rich and everyone else.