Longevity gap widens

The rich are living longer than the poor and the gap is widening, according to an Otago University study released yesterday.

The study, from the Health Inequalities Research Programme, used data collected between 1981 and 2004.

It found that in men, the life expectancy gap between the low and high income groups increased from 4.4 years in 1981 to 6.5 years in 2001, while for women, the gap increased from 3.3 years in 1981 to 4.7 years in 2001.