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Background: The purpose of the study was to determine trends in social inequality in mortality and life expectancy in Denmark. Methods: The study was based on register data on educational level and mortality during the period 1981-2005 and comprised all deaths among Danes aged 30-60. Sex- and age-specific death rates for each of three levels of education were calculated and age-standardized to allow comparisons over time and between groups. As data obtained since 1996 included ages up to 74, partial life expectancy (i.e. expected lifetime of 30-year-olds before the age of 75) was calculated for the period 1996-2005. Results: Between 1981 and 2005, the difference in death rates between people aged 30-60 with low and high educational level increased by two-thirds for men and was doubled for women. During the period 1996-2005, the gap in partial life expectancy from age 30 to 75 between people with low and high educational level increased by 0.3 years. Conclusion: During the past 25 years, the social gap in mortality has widened in Denmark. In particular, women with a low educational level have been left behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Health expectancy represents the average lifetime in various states of health and differs among social groups. The purpose of the study was to determine trends in social inequality in health expectancy since 1994 between groups with high, medium and low educational levels in Denmark. Methods: The study was based on data from nationwide registers on educational level and mortality during the period 1994—2005 and data on health status derived from the Danish Health Interview Surveys carried out in 1994, 2000 and 2005. Expected lifetime in self-rated good and poor health, lifetime without and with longstanding illness and expected lifetime without and with long-lasting difficulties or restrictions were estimated by Sullivan's method. Results: Between 1994 and 2005, life expectancy at age 30 years increased by 1.9 years for men and 1.5 years for women with a low educational level. For people with a high educational level, the increase was 2.7 years for men and 2.2 years for women. The difference between people with low and high educational level in expected lifetime in self-rated good health increased by 2.0 and 1.3 years for 30-year-old men and women, respectively. The social gap also increased for other indicators. Conclusions: During the past 12 years, social inequality in life expectancy and health expectancy has increased in Denmark, but the proportion of the population with a low educational level has decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]