Do Welfare Regimes Matter? A Comparative Analysis of Area-Level Inequalities in Life Expectancy in Germany and the United Kingdom, 2003–2021

Abstract

While area-level inequalities in life expectancy are well documented within individual countries, cross-national comparisons remain rare. We estimated and compared the magnitude of area-level life expectancy inequalities across districts in the UK and Germany, representing two distinct welfare regimes. We used mortality data from national statistical offices to estimate life expectancy for all districts between 2003 and 2021. Based on employment data, we assigned a deprivation decile to each district within both countries and calculated life expectancy for each decile. Using the slope index of inequality, we compared temporal trends in life expectancy inequalities across deciles in both countries. We found that, although life expectancy was similar in both countries, the UK consistently showed higher levels of area-level inequality than Germany. While district-level life expectancy inequalities increased in both countries over time, they rose more sharply in the UK, particularly during the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic. These findings are likely to reflect deeply rooted differences in governmental approaches to ensuring equitable living conditions across two distinct welfare regimes.