The Striking Rich-Poor Life-Expectancy Gap, in 1 Chart

The gap in life spans between the rich and the poor has been widening for a while, but the speed with which it has worsened has severe consequences for economic inequality in the U.S., a new analysis by the Brookings Institution finds.

Researchers analyzed Social Security data and other government records for thousands of men and women born between the years 1910 and 1950. They found that, for a man born in 1920, the average life expectancy at age 50 if he was in the top 10 percent of the income spectrum was 79 years. In other words, if this man made it to 50, he could expect to stick around for another 29 years. But the life expectancy at 50 of a man in the lowest 10 percent of income was just 74 years—five years less than the wealthier peer from his age cohort.