• Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners

Human Impact Partners Evidence Base

Evidence Base Home » Livelihood » Income inequality affects peoples mortality and health

Articles in Income inequality affects people’s mortality and health.

  • Individuals living in states with a high level of income inequality were at a 12% increased risk of mortality.

    Lochner K, Pamuk E, Makuc D, Kennedy BP, Kawachi I. 2001. State-level income inequality and individual mortality risk: a prospective, multilevel study. Am J Public Health 91(3):385-91.

  • Low income women in states with high levels of income inequality were 60% more likely to report depressive symptoms and 80% more likely to report fair/poor health as compared to low income women in low income inequality states.

    Kahn RS, Wise PH, Kennedy BP, Kawachi I. 2000. State income inequality, household income, and maternal mental and physical health: cross sectional national survey. British Medical Journal 321(7272):1311-1315.

  • In a study of 282 metropolitan areas in the United States, there were 65 to 96 more deaths per 100,000 people in areas where incomes were very unequal. Those living in areas of high-income inequality have lower average life expectancy and higher rates of violence.

    Lynch JW, Kaplan GA, Pamuk ER, Cohen RD, Heck KE, Balfour JL, Yen IH. 1998. Income inequality and mortality in metropolitan areas of the United States. Am J Public Health 88(7):1074-1080

  • In New Zealand, those in the lowest wealth quintile were more likely to have high psychological distress compared with those in the highest.

    Carter KN, Blakely T, Collings S, Gunasekara FI, Richardson K. 2009. What is the association between wealth and mental health? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 63(3): 221-226.

  • Relative deprivation in income (i.e. perceived disadvantage in social or economic standing based on a comparison to others in a society) is independently associated with poor self-rated health over and above the effects of absolute income on health.

    Subramanyam M, Kawachi I, Berkman L, Subramanian SV. 2009. Relative deprivation in income and self-rated health in the United States. Social Science & Medicine (in press).