Decreasing socioeconomic inequalities and increasing health inequalities in Spain: a case study

We examined the evolution of income inequalities and health inequalities in Spain from the time of the country's entry into the European Union.

We estimated distributions of provincial income and household income, relations of provincial income with mortality and disability, and relations of household income with disability in 1984-1986 and 1999-2001.

Inequalities in average provincial income and household income were lower in 2000 than in 1985. Differences in mortality and disability according to income were greater in 2000 than in 1985, in both absolute and relative terms, except for differences in mortality among individuals aged 25 to 44 years. In most cases, differences in mortality from leading causes of death and differences in major types of disabilities were also greater in 2000.

Our results show that redistribution of income might achieve greater social justice but probably does not lead to reduced health inequalities, despite observed improvements in material circumstances as well as in most health indicators among disadvantaged population groups.