Financial Security affects life expectancy

Increasingly we are becoming aware of the “costs” associated with poverty: people who live in poverty are more likely to end up in jail, result in greater health costs, are more dependent on public assistance.  A recent report released by Statistics Canada highlights the personal cost – people who are poor have shorter life expectancies.

At the age of 25, people who have the lowest 20% of incomes will live shorter lives than the people in the top 20% of incomes.  For men, the difference is more than 7 years – for women, the difference is 5 years.

Men and women living in shelters, rooming houses or hotels can expect to live an additional 8 years less.

See the Stats Canada Report: Remaining life expectancy at age 25 and probability of survival to age 75, by socio-economic status and Aboriginal ancestry.