The circumstances you grow up in are linked to how long you live
Poorer people, on average, live shorter lives. This pattern can be seen even in wealthy countries with extensive welfare systems. In Norway, for example, 40-year-old men in the richest 1% could expect to live almost 14 years longer than those in the poorest 1%. In the U.S., the equivalent gap is nearly 15 years. A 2025 World Health Organization report warned that international targets for…
Research published in The Lancet Public Health has found that poor childhood circumstances are linked to higher death rates many decades later. A systematic review of 102 studies involving around 8.5 million people in 24 countries revealed that adults who experienced greater socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood had a 26% higher mortality risk compared to those who grew up in more advantaged households.
The largest body of evidence focused on fathers' occupations, with those whose fathers held the least advantaged jobs having a significantly higher risk of death from various causes, including cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Other factors associated with higher mortality included lower parental education, financial hardship, and overcrowded housing.
While the studies were observational and could not prove direct causation, when accounting for studies with lower risk of bias, the pattern remained consistent. The review highlights the need for interventions targeting childhood socioeconomic disparities to reduce health inequalities in later life.
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