US University Graduates Enjoy Longer Life Expectancy, Study Reveals.
A recent study by economists from Princeton University highlights a substantial disparity in life expectancy between individuals with college degrees and those without, according to a report by The Economist.
The study, based on an analysis of demographic data in the United States, reveals that despite the nation’s robust economic growth in the past two decades, measures of well-being, particularly life expectancy, have shown less impressive results.
Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton’s research suggests that in 2021, Americans aged 25 without a four-year college degree could expect to live approximately 10 years less on average than their college-educated counterparts.
This study contributes to a growing trend in which life expectancy disparities have become increasingly evident, particularly in light of the impact of COVID-19 on mortality data across various age groups.
Despite the United States’ growing wealth, it has fallen behind other industrialized countries in terms of life expectancy. The Economist notes that a generation ago, the US ranked in the middle among these nations, but it now lags behind most other affluent countries.
Even before the pandemic, Americans’ chances of premature death were on the rise, leading to a gradual decline in life expectancy. Factors such as drug overdoses, shootings, and car accidents have been identified as contributing to higher mortality rates.
The study’s authors emphasize that “Americans with a college degree, if treated as a separate nation, would rank among the top performers, just below Japan.” This can be attributed largely to the fact that graduates typically have higher incomes and greater capacity to protect themselves from various risks compared to non-graduates.
However, it is worth noting that Americans with degrees still face a higher risk of experiencing violence or drug overdoses compared to their counterparts in other countries, even though they may have lower cancer mortality rates.
This underscores the significant role of inequality as a key factor contributing to the overall decline in mortality rates in the United States, as noted by The Economist.
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