The Spatial Dimension of Life Expectancy at Birth and at Age 65 in Attica, 2014-2020

Abstract

Although the literature on the spatial dimension of social inequality in Attica and on mortality trends in Greece is extensive, studies investigating the spatial variation in life expectancy at birth and at age 65 within the Region of Attica are rare. The primary purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is spatial variation in life expectancy at birth and at age 65 across the Regional Units of Attica from 2014 to 2020, covering a significant period of the economic crisis of the 2010s and the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The novelty of this study lies in examining two basic indicators of quality of life in Attica, a Region of Greece that has been little studied and that presents significant socioeconomic differences. Based on previous literature, the main hypotheses are that variation in life expectancy at birth aligns with variation in socioeconomic status and that the COVID-19 pandemic mainly affected older men living in disadvantaged areas. Analysis of microdata from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and Eurostat data confirmed that inequality in life expectancy at birth aligns with socioeconomic inequality in Attica. More specifically, the findings showed that in the poor areas of Western Attica, life expectancy at birth was clearly lower than in the affluent areas of North and South Athens. Also, in the aforementioned poor areas, the gender gap in life expectancy at birth is significantly greater than in the affluent areas of Athens. Finally, findings from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic show that losses in life expectancy are particularly high among people aged 65 and older.