[Socio-economic differences in mortality]

The ranking and frequency of the different causes of death vary according to social categories. The largest disparities in mortality are observed, at first for causes linked to alcohol consumption; then for diabetes, respiratory diseases, lung cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, stomach cancer, suicide, accidents, myocardial infarction, intestine and pancreas cancer. For most of the causes of death, there is an increase in time trends in the level of the over-mortality of the group "manual workers-clerical" in comparison with the group "high level professional workers". European comparisons outlined that France and Finland have the more marked social differences in mortality. For France, this trend concerns all the causes of death apart from cardiovascular diseases and violent deaths. The role of excessive alcohol consumption is outlined as an explanation of this specific position of France.