A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association put a new spin on raging discussions regarding income and wealth inequality in the U.S – the research finds that adults with the lowest incomes die on average as young as people in much poorer nations like Rwanda.
What’s more, their lifespans are shrinking. The study, led by Stanford economist Raj Chetty, offers many insights, including that the gap in life spans between the rich and poor widened from 2001 to 2014. As reported in the New York Times, the top 1 percent in income among American men live 15 years longer than the poorest 1%.
Among women, the gap is ten years. Wealthy Americans have gained three years of longevity during this century alone. The rich live longer virtually without regard to where they live. The poor have gained little longevity and where they live really matters.
In cities like Tulsa and Detroit, life expectancy among low income residents is particularly short. In addition to having access to better quality healthcare, the rich may also benefit from their lifestyles – they tend to exercise more, smoke less, experience less stress and are less likely to be obese.
