Health, wealth and income disparities still widening

5 May 05
The difference in life expectancy between rich and poor people has reverted to Victorian levels, according to medical researchers.

06 May 2005

The difference in life expectancy between rich and poor people has reverted to Victorian levels, according to medical researchers.

A ten-year analysis conducted by experts from Bristol and Sheffield universities found that health inequalities have continued to widen, along with increasing disparities in income and wealth.

'Despite favourable economic circumstances, and inroads made by initiatives such as the national minimum wage, New Deal, and tax credits, more substantial redistributive policies are needed that address both poverty and income inequality,' says the study, published in the British Medical Journal.

Among men, the difference between the UK local authority with the lowest life expectancy (Glasgow City) and the one with the highest (East Dorset) increased from ten to 11 years between 1997 and 2003. For women, the gap increased from 7.8 years to 8.4 years over the same period.

The researchers also noted that income inequalities rose markedly through the 1980s and 1990s and on into the 2000s, although they have recently begun to narrow.

The study notes that income inequalities are such that the poorest 10% of society receives only 3% of the nation's income, while the richest 10% receives more than a quarter.

The study also suggests that policies to help the low paid and the most disadvantaged have not made sufficient inroads into health inequality, and more radical solutions were needed to reverse the trends.

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