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.

“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.

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.

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.