The circumstances you grow up in are linked to how long you live

AI Summary

Research highlights a persistent link between socioeconomic circumstances and life expectancy, including in wealthy countries with extensive welfare systems. The reported longevity gap between the richest and poorest groups is nearly 15 years in the United States and about 14 years among men in Norway, while the WHO warns that global health inequality targets for 2040 may be missed.

Poorer people, on average, live shorter lives. This pattern can be seen even in wealthy countries with extensive welfare systems. In Norway, for example, 40-year-old men in the richest 1% could expect to live almost 14 years longer than those in the poorest 1%. In the U.S., the equivalent gap is nearly 15 years. A 2025 World Health Organization report warned that international targets for reducing health inequalities by 2040 are likely to be missed.