On average, Europeans are living longer lives than ever before, but these health gains are not distributed evenly. A recently published report from EuroHealthNet and the Centre for Health Equity Analytics (CHAIN) provides new evidence demonstrating that health inequalities in Europe have remained persistent over the last decade (2014-2024).
Using high-quality information from the European Social Survey, the report provides an overview of trends in self-reported physical and mental health in Europe. The findings show that one in three Europeans reports their health as fair to very poor, and that individuals with lower educational attainment tend to report poorer health than those with higher qualifications. Marked differences in mental health were also observed across occupational groups, with a larger proportion of those in the lowest occupational status group reporting poor mental health compared to those in the highest occupational status group.
The report underscores the key role of social determinants in the formation of these inequalities, and the need for a Health in All Policies approach to address their root causes. In particular, the report highlights the contribution of economic insecurity, limited control over working life, and housing stress to the observed health inequalities.
More information on the report can be found at: https://eurohealthnet.eu/publication/social-inequalities-in-health-in-the-eu/