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Large and persistent life expectancy disparities between India’s social groups

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  • Gupta, Aashish
  • Sudharsanan, Nikkil

Abstract

India is one of the most rigidly stratified societies in the world, yet little is known about life expectancy disparities in the country. We provide direct estimates of social differences in life expectancy in India using survey data spanning two decades. We show that individuals from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have drastically and persistently lower life expectancies than high-caste individuals (between 4.2–4.4 years for women and 6.1–7.0 years for men in 2013–16). While Muslims had a modest life expectancy disadvantage compared to high castes in 1997–2000, this disadvantage has grown substantially over the past 20 years. Mortality disparities between marginalized and privileged social groups are present across the entire life-course and are increasingly driven by older-age mortality. Our findings reveal a pressing need for far greater attention to the health of marginalized populations in India.

Suggested Citation

  • Gupta, Aashish & Sudharsanan, Nikkil, 2022. "Large and persistent life expectancy disparities between India’s social groups," SocArXiv hu8t9_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:hu8t9_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/hu8t9_v1
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    1. Nikkil Sudharsanan, 2019. "The Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Adult Mortality in a Developing Country: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Survey of Indonesian Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(3), pages 484-495.
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    4. Subramanian, S.V. & Nandy, S. & Irving, M. & Gordon, D. & Lambert, H. & Smith, G.D., 2006. "The mortality divide in India: The differential contributions of gender, caste, and standard of living across the life course," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(5), pages 818-825.
    5. Desai, Sonalde & Dubey, Amaresh & Joshi, Brij Lal & Sen, Mitali & Sharif, Abusaleh & Vanneman, Reeve, 2010. "Human Development in India: Challenges for a Society in Transition," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198065128.
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