A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that wealthy Americans live as long as the poorest individuals in northern and western Europe, and even as long as people in eastern Europe. The research underscores how income inequality and access to healthcare and social services can significantly impact life expectancy. Interestingly, many poorer Europeans outlive affluent Americans, highlighting the deep health disparities present in the United States.

Study Shows Contrasting Health Outcomes Between US and Europe

The study, which followed 74,000 people aged 50 to 85 in the United States and 16 European countries from 2010 to 2022, shows a stark contrast between life expectancies in the US and various European regions. The research divided Europe into three regions: northern and western Europe (including Germany, France, and the Netherlands), southern Europe (Spain and Italy), and eastern Europe (Poland and Hungary).

Over the 12-year period, the United States reported a death rate of 6.5 per 1,000 people. In comparison, northern and western Europe had a death rate of 2.9 per 1,000 people, southern Europe had 4.9 per 1,000, and eastern Europe had 5.8 per 1,000. These numbers show that people in northern and western Europe live longer, even when considering the economic status of their populations.

Wealth Gaps Widen Health Inequality in the United States

While health outcomes across all regions were influenced by wealth, the study revealed that the United States faces the greatest health inequality due to its large wealth gap. The wealthiest Americans had significantly lower life expectancies than even the most affluent southern Europeans, and their survival rates were worse than all economic groups in northern and western Europe.

Irene Papanicolas, a health economist from Brown University who led the study, explained that even the wealthiest Americans cannot escape the country’s systemic health challenges. While both wealthy Americans and western Europeans generally enjoy financial security, the impact of wealth on health is not solely dependent on income size. The key factor is how wealthy someone is compared to others within their country. In the United States, the wealth gap is among the largest in the world, and this has far-reaching consequences for health outcomes.

Furthermore, the US faces numerous challenges in its healthcare system. The country has weak social infrastructure and limited access to healthcare, which disproportionately affects the poorest Americans but also harms those in the middle class and even the wealthy. Researchers found that the poorest Americans had the lowest survival rates overall, dying younger than their European counterparts.

Sara Machado, another researcher involved in the study, pointed out that health challenges in the US affect more than just the most vulnerable groups. Even individuals in the top 25% of wealth experience negative effects due to the country’s inequalities. This suggests that the problem of health disparities is not only about the poorest Americans but extends across a wide range of income levels.

Stronger Social Systems Contribute to Better Health in Europe

While the study did not compare European countries directly, Dr. Martin McKee, a public health expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, offered some insights into why Europeans tend to live longer. He believes the better health outcomes seen in poorer populations in northern and western Europe can largely be attributed to the strength of the welfare systems in those regions.

McKee explained that countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands have well-funded social systems that benefit not only low-income individuals but also the middle class and wealthy citizens. This contrasts with the United States, where the social safety net is less robust, leading to worse health outcomes even for wealthier Americans.

Dr. McKee emphasized that everyone in a society benefits from a strong welfare state. “Strong social systems contribute to better health for everyone, not just the poor,” he said. “The health of the general population is tied to the quality of these social systems.”

Understanding the Impact of Wealth on Health

The study took several factors into account when analyzing the relationship between wealth and health, including gender, marital status, education, rural or urban residence, smoking habits, and chronic conditions such as diabetes or cancer. However, the researchers acknowledged that there are other factors, such as race and ethnicity, which could also influence the results. The study only divided participants into four wealth brackets, meaning it may have missed even more significant health disparities at the very extreme ends of the income spectrum.

Dr. McKee noted that the growing wealth of the top 1–2% in the United States poses a major concern. He suggested that the study likely underestimates the scale of the issue, as it did not delve into the extreme wealth held by the richest Americans.

Despite these limitations, the researchers concluded that the US could improve its health outcomes by learning from European examples. The study shows that other countries, especially those in northern and western Europe, achieve better health outcomes for their populations. To close the gap and increase life expectancy for all Americans, policymakers could look to these countries for inspiration.

Learning from European Models

The findings of this study paint a clear picture of the health disparities in the United States, and they serve as a call to action for American leaders to reform the nation’s social and healthcare systems. As the study highlights, the key to improving life expectancy and health outcomes for Americans lies in addressing income inequality, strengthening the social safety net, and ensuring universal access to healthcare.

“Since other countries achieve better health outcomes, the US should look abroad for inspiration,” concluded researcher Sara Machado. “By making changes to improve social systems and healthcare access, the United States could significantly increase life expectancy and well-being for everyone.”