Wilkinson RG. Income distribution and life expectancy. British Medical Journal. 1992; 304: 165-8.

The seminal paper presented in a medical journal associating income equality and life expectancy among rich countries. Wilkinson did not originate this idea, it was pointed out to him by Mildred Blaxter several years before and was first presented in a publication by Rodgers. The study also documents the dynamic aspects in which changes in income distribution over a decade appear associated with changes in life expectancy over similar times. The income distribution data were obtained from the Luxembourg Income Study, and looking at the percentage of income received by the least well-off 70% of the population was used for the analysis.

Keywords

• economic growth
• education
• Gini coefficient
• gross national product
• health inequalities
• income
• income distribution
• income inequality
• inequality
• international
• life expectancy
• medical care
• mortality
• population health
• poverty
• social class