Key points from article :
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed that Americans, regardless of wealth, have shorter life expectancies than their European counterparts. Led by Professor Irene Papanicolas of the Brown University School of Public Health, the research examined data from over 73,000 adults aged 50 to 85 across the U.S. and multiple European regions, uncovering significant disparities in survival rates tied to both wealth and geography.
The study found that wealthier individuals tend to live longer, but even the richest Americans fare worse than similarly wealthy Europeans. In some western European countries, such as Germany and France, the poorest citizens often have better survival rates than the wealthiest Americans. On average, individuals in Continental Europe had death rates around 40% lower than Americans, with similar trends seen across Southern and Eastern Europe.
The findings highlight systemic issues in the U.S. — including weaker social safety nets, economic inequality, and behavioral risk factors like diet, smoking, and rural living — that appear to negatively affect health outcomes across all income levels. Co-author Sara Machado emphasized that health inequality isn't just a problem for the poor; even the top quartile of American wealth is impacted.
The research also points to a “survivor effect” in the U.S., where early deaths among poorer individuals distort wealth distribution statistics in older age groups. The authors argue that addressing these disparities requires broader policy changes beyond the healthcare system — targeting the social and structural determinants of health that are often overlooked.
