PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Cutler, David
AU  - Lleras-Muney, Adriana
TI  - Introduction: The Determinants of Mortality
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.2026SI-determinants-of-mortality
DP  - 2026 Feb 06
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 2026SI-determinants-of-mortality
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/02/03/jhr.2026SI-determinants-of-mortality.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2026/02/03/jhr.2026SI-determinants-of-mortality.full
AB  - In most of the world, life expectancy rose dramatically between 1750 and 2000, from roughly 30 to more than 70 years. Rising caloric intake and incomes contributed to the earliest gains, while later improvements stemmed from public health developments, including updated modern sanitation systems, vaccination, and antibiotics. However, not all populations improved in health equally. Life expectancy rose much more in high-income countries than in low-income ones, and within countries, more so for the high-income than low-income individuals. Even within countries with low average mortality risk, factors such as income, education, and race predict how long an individual will live.