Study Finds Rich Europeans Outlive Rich Americans

A new study from Brown University’s School of Public Health has shed light on the strong link between wealth and health. It found that even the richest Americans tend to live shorter lives compared to their European counterparts—raising serious concerns about the overall state of health in the United States.

Wealthier People Live Longer, But Not Equally Everywhere

Researchers studied over 73,000 adults aged 50 to 85 from the U.S. and several European regions. They discovered a clear trend: people with more wealth generally live longer than those with less. However, this gap is especially wide in the U.S. compared to Europe.

Even more surprising, the wealthiest Americans often have shorter life expectancies than the wealthiest Europeans. In some cases, they even have similar survival rates to the poorest Europeans in countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

 Social Systems and Lifestyle Matter

Dr. Sara Machado, co-author of the study, said that the health gap is not only about money. Differences in healthcare systems, social safety nets, and cultural habits—like diet and smoking—also play major roles.
She noted, “Your position in your own country’s wealth scale matters. But so does how your country supports your well-being compared to others.”

Life Expectancy in the U.S. Is Declining

According to Professor Irene Papanicolas, lead author of the study, life expectancy in the U.S. has been decreasing in recent years. She explained that even wealthy Americans are affected by issues like economic inequality, poor diets, high stress, and environmental risks.
“These findings remind us that health problems in the U.S. affect everyone—not just the poor. To fix this, we need to understand what’s causing these differences and learn from countries that are doing better,” said Papanicolas.

Europeans Live Longer—At All Income Levels

The study found that Europeans had lower death rates across the board. On average:

• Europeans had a 40% lower death rate than Americans.
• People in Southern Europe had 30% lower death rates.
• Those in Eastern Europe had 13–20% lower death rates compared to Americans.

Even in the top wealth brackets, Americans died at higher rates than Europeans. This shows that wealth alone doesn’t guarantee a longer life—it also depends on where you live and how your country supports its people.

Why Wealth Gaps Look Smaller After Age 65

The study also explained a concept called the “survivor effect.” In the U.S., poorer individuals are more likely to die younger. This means that among older age groups, there are fewer poor people left. As a result, it looks like wealth inequality shrinks with age—but it’s really because the most disadvantaged Americans are dying earlier.
“Our earlier work shows that wealth gaps appear to shrink after 65, but in the U.S., this is mostly because poorer people are no longer surviving,” said Papanicolas.

Policy Changes Needed Beyond Healthcare Spending

The researchers argue that improving U.S. health outcomes will take more than just spending more on healthcare. They suggest looking to Europe for ideas and focusing on broader social issues.
“We need to look beyond just healthcare. Other countries are getting better results without necessarily spending more. That means we have room to improve—if we focus on the right things,” said Machado.

Conclusion

This study is a powerful reminder that health and wealth are closely linked—but the systems in place also matter a lot. Even the wealthiest Americans are affected by broader issues in society. The U.S. has much to learn from Europe’s approach to health, equality, and social support.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources