Death Is No Accident: Unequal Lifetime Chances as a Challenge for Social Policy

Abstract

People are unequal before death, not only in terms of social status but also in terms of their lifetime chances. People with low lifetime chances have less education, income, assets and die earlier than people with greater resources. This correlation can be demonstrated both globally and within rich countries such as Switzerland. This article first gives an overview of the causes of unequal lifetime chances. This is followed by an overview of selected empirical analyses. Finally, it focuses on socio-political aspects. For example, it is obvious that a fixed retirement age, be it 65 or 67, disadvantages mainly those people who have a high risk of dying at a below-average age.