Income inequalities strongly affect the mortality of male descendants of migrants in Sweden
Income inequalities have a negative impact on everyone’s health, but they have a greater impact on the mortality risk of male descendants of immigrants compared to the majority population without a migration background in Sweden. These findings are presented in a new study by researchers at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.
In a previous study, the researchers have shown that income inequalities in mortality develop among immigrants with increasing duration of residence in Sweden. This news study contributes additional knowledge by showing that income inequalities in mortality continue to grow in the next generation, particularly among male descendants of migrants with a non-European background.
Overall, our study reveals that the integration of migrants in Sweden is far from homogeneous.
“In addition, our study also shows greater income inequalities in mortality among immigrants who arrived as children compared to those who came as adults” says Alexander Miething, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.
Accidents are a common cause of death
External causes of death – such as accidents – account for a significant portion of this inequality in mortality. When the research group excluded external causes, the differences in income-related mortality between the different groups with a migration background decreased.
“This indicates that we not only need efforts to combat socioeconomic inequality but also measures to address accidents, self-harm, fatal violence, and other external factors that contribute to the observed income inequalities in mortality, particularly among the descendants of migrants,” says Andrea Dunlavy, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.
Important to address income-related inequalities in mortality
In the study, the researchers used longitudinal data from Swedish population registers to track individuals aged 25–64 during the period from 2004 to 2018.
The findings underscore the importance of addressing income-related
inequalities in mortality, particularly among people with non-European backgrounds and across different migrant generations.
“Overall, our study reveals that the integration of migrants in Sweden is far from homogeneous” says Sol Juárez, senior lecturer at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.
Håkan Soold
Facts
The study Income inequalities and mortality by generation among individuals with a foreign background in Sweden: a population-based study was published recently in the scientific journal THE LANCET Regional Health – Europe.
Contributing authors: Alexander Miething, Andrea Dunlavy and Sol P. Juárez from the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.
The previous study referred to in the news article above, Income mortality paradox by immigrants’ duration of residence in Sweden: a population register-based study, was published in 2023 in the scientific journal Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Last updated: June 12, 2025
Source: Department for Public Health Science