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Pauvreté, Egalité, Mortalité: Mortality (In)Equality in France and the United States

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  • Janet Currie
  • Hannes Schwandt
  • Josselin Thuilliez

Abstract

We develop a method to compare levels and trends in inequality in mortality in the United States and France in a similar framework. The comparison shows that while income inequality has increased in both the United States and France, inequality in mortality in France remained remarkably low and stable. In the United States, inequality in mortality increased for older groups (especially women) while it decreased for children and young adults. These patterns highlight the fact that despite the strong cross-sectional relationship between income and health, there is no necessary connection between changes in income inequality and changes in health inequality.

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  • Janet Currie & Hannes Schwandt & Josselin Thuilliez, 2018. "Pauvreté, Egalité, Mortalité: Mortality (In)Equality in France and the United States," NBER Working Papers 24623, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24623
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Max Brüning & Josselin Thuilliez, 2019. "Mortality and Macroeconomic Conditions: What Can We Learn From France?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1747-1764, October.
    3. Brandily, Paul & Brébion, Clément & Briole, Simon & Khoury, Laura, 2021. "A poorly understood disease? The impact of COVID-19 on the income gradient in mortality over the course of the pandemic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Aline Bütikofer & René Karadakic & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2021. "Income Inequality and Mortality: A Norwegian Perspective," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 193-221, March.
    5. Florian Bonnet & Hippolyte d'Albis, 2020. "Spatial Inequality in Mortality in France over the Past Two Centuries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 46(1), pages 145-168, March.
    6. Nicolas Berman & Lorenzo Rotunno & Roberta Ziparo, 2020. "Sweet child of mine: Parental income, child health and inequality," AMSE Working Papers 2005, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised Dec 2022.
    7. Kristiina Huttunen & Stefano Lombardi, 2021. "Mortality Inequality in Finland," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 223-244, March.
    8. Grossmann, Volker & Strulik, Holger, 2021. "Illicit drugs and the decline of the middle class," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 718-743.
    9. Libertad González Luna & Ana Rodríguez-González, 2018. "Changes in inequality in mortality: New evidence for Spain," Economics Working Papers 1616, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    10. Berman, Nicolas & Rotunno, Lorenzo & Ziparo, Roberta, 2020. "Sweet child of mine: Income, health and inequality," CEPR Discussion Papers 14444, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Gedeão Locks, 2025. "Mortality inequality in Chile," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(1), pages 139-162, March.
    12. James Banks & Sarah Cattan & Lucy Kraftman & Sonya Krutikova, 2021. "Mortality Inequality in England over the Past 20 Years," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 47-77, March.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

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