It's no surprise that the wealthy often live longer than the poor. But a new study suggests that the gap is wide -- and may be widening.
Economists at the Brookings Institution released research on Friday that showed that men and women in the top 10 percent of earners are living much longer than those in bottom 10 percent.
Among American men born in 1950, for example, the wealthiest 10% are expected to live on average 14 years longer than the poorest 10%.
The stark disparity in life expectancy may help explain why the U.S. compares so poorly to other industrialized Western countries.
The most recent figure when it comes to the average life expectancy for an American is 78.7 years, according to official figures. By contrast, Switzerland has an average life expectancy of 82.8 years, with and Japan at 82.7 years.
While life expectancy has grown for the rich, that of poor Americans has improved at a much slower rate.
For instance, the life expectancy of poor men born in 1950 was just 3 percent higher than the life expectancy of those born in 1920. But high-earners' life expectancy grew almost 10 times as much — by 28 percent.
Researchers don't yet know precisely what explains the difference. But some suspect the steep decline in smoking among educated and wealthier Americans may be one factor. Other factors may include access to health care, the report authors noted.