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National mortality rates: The impact of inequality?

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  • Wilkinson, R.G.

Abstract

Although health is closely associated with income differences within each country there is, at best, only a weak link between national mortality rates and average income among the developed countries. On the other hand, there is evidence of a strong relationship between national mortality rates and the scale of income differences within each society. These three elements are coherent if health is affected less by changes in absolute material standards across affluent populations than it is by relative income or the scale of income differences and the resulting sense of disadvantage within each society. Rather than socioeconomic mortality differentials representing a distribution around given national average mortality rates, it is likely that the degree of income inequality indicates the burden of relative deprivation on national mortality rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilkinson, R.G., 1992. "National mortality rates: The impact of inequality?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 82(8), pages 1082-1084.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1992:82:8:1082-1084_4
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    Cited by:

    1. Qin Zhou & Xuezheng Qin & Gordon G. Liu, 2020. "Relative economic status and mental health among Chinese adults: Evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1312-1332, November.
    2. Ki-tae Kim, 2019. "Which Income Inequality Influences Which Health Indicators? Analysis of the Income Inequality Hypothesis with Market and Disposable Gini Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 473-485, December.
    3. Sun, Yu & You, Wen, 2016. "Relative-deprivation effects on child health in China," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235926, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Philippe Batifoulier & Denis Abecassis & Nicolas da Silva & Victor Duchesne & Léonard Moulin, 2016. "L’utilité sociale de la dépense publique," CEPN Working Papers hal-01421197, HAL.
    5. Michal Brzezinski, 2018. "What accounts for the rise of low self-rated health during the recent economic crisis in Europe?," Working Papers 2018-16, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    6. Bridgitte C. Madrian, 1994. "The Effect of Health Insurance on Retirement," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 25(1), pages 181-252.
    7. Tausch, Arno, 2010. "Zur Analyse internationaler Migrationsprozesse. Makro-quantitative Perspektiven und eine vergleichende Fallstudie über die Lage der türkischen Community in Österreich [On the analysis of internatio," MPRA Paper 27651, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Zhe Huang & Emily Ying-Yang Chan & Chi-Shing Wong & Sida Liu & Benny Chung-Ying Zee, 2022. "Health Disparity Resulting from the Effect of Built Environment on Temperature-Related Mortality in a Subtropical Urban Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Munira, Syarifah Liza & Fritzen, Scott A., 2007. "What influences government adoption of vaccines in developing countries? A policy process analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(8), pages 1751-1764, October.
    10. Nilsson, Therese & Bergh, Andreas, 2012. "Income Inequality and Individual Health: Exploring the Association in a Developing Country," Working Papers 2012:1, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    11. Stark, Oded, 2021. "Why reducing relative deprivation but not reducing income inequality might bring down COVID-19 infections," Journal of Government and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(C).
    12. Kreng, Victor B. & Yang, Chi-Tien, 2011. "The equality of resource allocation in health care under the National Health Insurance System in Taiwan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(2), pages 203-210.
    13. Karlsson, Martin & Nilsson, Therese & Lyttkens, Carl Hampus & Leeson, George, 2010. "Income inequality and health: Importance of a cross-country perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 875-885, March.
    14. Barbara Davis & Valerie Tarasuk, 1994. "Hunger in Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 11(4), pages 50-57, September.
    15. Pickett, Kate E. & Wilkinson, Richard G., 2015. "Income inequality and health: A causal review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 316-326.

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