Alexander Miething, Andrea Dunlavy, and Sol P. Juárez have published a study in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe which examines how income-related health inequalities vary by migrant generation in Sweden.
Recent international migrants often show both a mortality advantage and lower income-related health inequalities compared to the majority population, but research suggests these benefits diminish over time. Using longitudinal population register data from Sweden (2004–2018), this study examined how income inequalities in mortality differ by migrant generation and own or parental region of origin among adults aged 25–64.
Findings showed that male descendants of migrants with non-European backgrounds experience much larger income-related inequalities in mortality than both first-generation non-European migrants and majority population men. External causes of death, such as accidents, accounted for large proportions of these inequalities. Among women, income inequalities in mortality were smaller in magnitude overall, regardless of origin or generation.
These results indicate that income-related inequalities in mortality increase by migrant generation, especially among men with non-European backgrounds. Health and non-health targeted interventions focusing on social determinants are needed to address income inequalities in mortality.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101344