It doesn’t take a genius to work out why wealth usually comes hand in hand with longevity, but just how strong is the trend? Are there any exceptions we can learn from?
In the video above, Professor Hans Rosling looks at the relationship between GDP per capita and lifespan, and highlights that wealth can produce considerable lifespan disparity. While there is a strong correlation between wealth and longevity, the data also shows fluctuations within countries, depending on how the wealth is distributed.
In the US the life expectancy gap between affluent and poor is now 12.2 years
Whether you’re a staunch libertarian or hard-line socialist, income equality clearly influences lifespan. It’ll undoubtedly be a big challenge of our times, especially as longevity breakthroughs become available.
Being wealthy has its limits
Yes, being wealthy gives you access to better treatment, but it doesn’t guarantee a healthier lifestyle or improve lifespan as a whole. Longevity research and activism has a long way to go to persuade health services across the world to focus on preventative and regenerative medicine in the future.
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