Health differences in Europe

Large inequalities in health exist across the EU and this applies both to men and women. On average, citizens in the new Member States suffer a worse health status than the others. For example, between EU Member States, there is a 13.2 year gap in life expectancy at birth for men, an 8.2 year gap for women, and a 5-fold difference in death rates of babies under one year of age. While a man in Estonia spends up to 71% of his life in good health, a man in Denmark can expect to live 90% of his life in good health (Background doc COM(2009)567). The number of life years lost due to deaths that can be attributed to health inequalities in the EU is approximately 11.4 million.(Mackenbach JP et al (2007)).

The following map visualizes these large differences for the example of life expectancy at birth.

Within countries, those with a lower socio-economic status (measured by educational level, occupational class or income) often suffer a worse health status. This affects the life expectancy, years lived in good health and infant mortality rates of people at different levels of the socio-economic ladder (Mackenbach JP (2006), Akerman M (2009)). For example, in the Netherlands, females and males with low educational status have a life expectancy that is 7 years lower than those with higher educational status, and life 18 years less in good health (Knoop L and den Brokel M (2010))

Differences also exist between regions, rural and urban areas. For example in the region of Glasgow (Calton neighbourhood) men have a life expectancy at birth of 54 years. This is 28 years less than men living in Lenzie, just a few kilometers away (WHO, key concepts). In the London area, huge differences in life expectancy exist for people living just a few kilometers apart. The figure of the London Underground below illustrates this how men living in Westminster can expect to live around 77.7 years, while in Canning Town, the life expectancy is six years less. Almost one year of life is lost at every tube stop.