Regional mortality differences in Western Europe: A review of the situation in the seventies

Abstract

A comparison of data from nearly 260 regions in Western Europe during the period from 1969 to 1977 reveals regional differences of 11.0 years in life expectation at birth for males as well as females (from 73.6 to 62.6 years for males and from 79.2 to 68.5 years for females). The causes of these differences are still inadequately explored: however, it appears that male mortality is often relatively higher in the regions that are most highly urbanized and where mining and heavy industry or dockyards are concentrated. In contrast, the populations of predominantly agricultural regions appear to enjoy a higher life expectation.