Social differences in mortality and life expectancy in Germany. Current situation and trends

Abstract

Social differences in mortality and life expectancy are a clear demonstration of the social and health-related inequalities that exist within a particular population. According to data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for the period ranging from 1992 to 2016, 13% of women and 27% of men in the lowest income group died before the age of 65; the same can be said for just 8% of women and 14% of men in the highest income group. The difference between mean life expectancy at birth among the lowest and highest income groups is 4.4 years for women and 8.6 years for men. Substantial differences also exist between income groups regarding further life expectancy at the age of 65: women in the lowest income group have a 3.7-year shorter life expectancy than women in the highest income group. Similarly, men in the lowest income group have a 6.6-year shorter life expectancy than men in the highest income group. Finally, results from the trend analyses suggest that social differences in life expectancy have remained relatively stable over the last 25 years.