Rodgers GB. Income and inequality as determinants of mortality: an international cross-section analysis. Population Studies 1979; 33: 343-51.

This is the first published study showing an association between income distribution and life expectancy or infant mortality among 56 countries, both rich and poor. It begins with a theoretical model, then tries to see how well the data fit, using the Gini coefficient to represent income distribution. Rodgers then did the analysis separately for poor countries and replicated the findings, at slightly lower significance. He suggests that the difference in life expectancy between a relatively egalitarian and relatively inegalitarian country is likely to be as much as five to ten years, which is perhaps an underestimate given today's data. He ends suggesting that income inequality may not be the only factor operating, that we can expect inequality in access to health and social services, education and other aspects to have an impact.

Keywords

• Gini coefficient
• income
• income distribution
• income inequality
• inequality
• infant mortality
• international
• life expectancy
• mortality
• population health