Social inequalities in life expectancy during the transition period of economic crisis (1995-2005) in Korea

Youngtae Cho, Seoul National University

This research examines social inequalities in life expectancy during the transition period of the Korean economic crisis. Utilizing data from the census and national deaths in the National Statistics Office in Korea, life expectancies were estimated by age, gender, and educational attainment for three time periods: 1994-1997, 1998-2001, 2002-2005. Those with less education experienced a shorter life expectancy at each age than their counterparts with higher levels of education attainment. At age 30, university-educated men experienced life expectancy 15.4 years (1994-1997), 17.9 years (1998-2001) and 19.2 years (2002-2005) higher than those elementary or less-educated counterparts did. For women, the corresponding differences by each period were 8.8 years, 10.0 years and 18.8 years. Widening social inequalities in life expectancy are evident during the economically transitional period of the Korean financial economic crisis, 1994-2005.