Immigration and Geographic Inequality in Life Expectancy

• In Event: 3264 - Mortality and Morbidity

Abstract

Recent life expectancy trends in the United States have been characterized by declining life expectancy and increasing geographic inequality in mortality. While most extant research hypothesizes that these twin phenomena are due to moral decline, poor health behaviors, deteriorating health infrastructure, and fewer resources being directed to rural areas, no prior research has hypothesized or tested the idea that immigration may be relevant for both of these trends. Immigrants tend to have lower mortality than those born in the U.S., and they are relatively less affected by the recent adverse trends in mortality. Furthermore, immigrants tend to be geographically concentrated in border states, coastal states, and large metropolitan areas. Together, these two facts suggest that: (1) immigration may be propping up American life expectancy, which would otherwise be falling even further; and (2) immigration may be responsible for part of the geographic inequality in life expectancy. This study tests these hypotheses using restricted-use multiple cause of death data from the National Center for Health Statistics. We find that immigration does indeed prop up American life expectancy, by roughly 0.69-0.75 years, and that the geographic concentration of immigrants is responsible for roughly 16% of the geographic inequality in life expectancy.

Author

• Arun Hendi, Princeton University