The Wealth–Health Gradient across Age Groups: a Cross-National Comparative Analysis

Davide Gritti , University of Trento
Dina Maskileyson, University of Luxembourg
Raffaele Grotti, University of Trento
Stefani Scherer, University of Trento

Prior comparative studies consistently document a positive wealth–health gradient, i.e. a positive association between individuals’ wealth and health status. Yet they failed in mapping how this gradient evolves across adulthood or compared its age profile across countries, leaving a substantial evidence gap. This paper investigates how the association between private household wealth and health unfolds across adulthood and varies across institutional contexts. Using harmonised, nationally representative data from the Luxembourg Wealth Study for seven high-income countries, we estimate country-specific models that allow the wealth–health gradient to differ by age group. Methodologically, we implement weighted linear regressions of self-rated health with interactions between wealth and five age groups, and we summarize results as predicted health differences across the wealth distribution; robustness checks consider alternative dimensions of wealth as well as potential confounding by income and homeownership. Three results stand out. First, the wealth–health gradient is positive across settings. Second, its age profile is not uniform: the gradient tends to intensify from early adulthood, peak in late midlife, and then stabilize or modestly attenuate at older ages. Third, the timing and steepness of this profile align with institutional features: systems with greater reliance on private means show earlier and sharper gradients, whereas less-privatized systems display later and flatter patterns. By identifying when in the life course and where across systems wealth differences matter most for health, the study informs health policies.

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 Presented in Session P5. Health, Mortality, and Ageing 1