Chart of the week: Covid-19 kills people in the most deprived areas at double the rate of those in the most affluent (original) (raw)

Recently published data suggests that the most deprived areas of England have twice the rate of deaths involving Covid-19 than the most affluent. But Covid-19 is not unique in this respect: inequalities in mortality have long been evident across many causes of death. Indeed, deaths from suicide, conditions such as liver disease and cancer as well as overall mortality rates all show that death rates for people living in the most deprived decile of the country are higher than those in the least deprived.

As the chart shows, not only do all causes of death lie below the equality line, most death rates for the most deprived areas are around twice those in the least deprived.

Covid-19 has highlighted a longstanding and wicked problem. Concern about this should renew interest and action to tackle inequalities in health in the population.

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Mortality rate for different conditions, per 100,000 people

Chart