The Evolution of Cause- and Age- Specific Contributions to Educational Gaps in Life Expectancy in 14 European Countries (1990-2019)

Enrique Pérez-Miguel , CED
Sergi Trias-Llimós , Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Iñaki Permanyer, Center for Demographic Studies
Wilma Nusselder, Erasmus MC Roterdam

Educational inequalities in longevity persist across European countries, yet their magnitude and evolution vary across populations. Such variation reflects the influence of age- and cause-of-death- specific mortality dynamics that unequally affect individuals across educational groups. While these dynamics are shaped by country-specific contexts, identifying common patterns can reveal shared mechanisms driving the evolution of educational inequalities in life expectancy. We aim to identify cross-national patterns in the age- and cause- specific contributions to the evolution of educational inequalities in life expectancy across European populations. We used harmonized cause-specific mortality data for 14 European populations (12 countries, 2 cities) from 1990 to 2019. We applied decomposition methods to assess trends in age- and cause- specific contributions to the educational gap in partial life expectancy (40-84) between the highest and lowest educational groups. Educational inequalities in life expectancy were observed in all populations. The evolution of the gap was heterogeneous: Nordic countries experienced widenings, particularly among females; Western countries saw declines among males; Southern European cities remained stable; and contrasting trends were found in Eastern European countries. Overall, changes in the gap were driven by variations in the contributions of ages 40-69. The contribution of cardiovascular causes to the educational gap decreased over time, driven by declining contributions of ischaemic heart disease. Cancers showed marked sex differences: Among females, the contribution of cancers increased over time, largely driven by lung cancer, while among males it remained stable. Further analyses by detailed causes of death are forthcoming.

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 Presented in Session 38. Flash Session Social Inequalities in Mortality