How income relates to life expectancy across the United States
Official title: A New Database to Measure the Association Between Income and Mortality Across the United States and as Foundation to Enhance Health for All Americans
Funded at National Bureau of Economic Research · NIH-11189620 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project creates a public database that links income and death records to show how income affects life expectancy for Americans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Bureau of Economic Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $643,697 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AG076557-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11189620 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The database covers the entire U.S. population across ages, income levels, races, sexes, and counties using linked administrative records, so no individual enrollment is needed.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals seeking direct medical treatment or immediate personal clinical benefit will not receive direct care from this database project.
What this research studies
This project will build and update a national database by linking tax returns, the decennial Census, and Social Security death records to produce mortality rates by age, income, race/ethnicity, sex, and county. Researchers and policymakers can use these data to find where income-related gaps in life expectancy are largest and how they change over time. The database will be made publicly available and updated annually so communities and health systems can plan more equitable policies and programs. The project uses existing administrative records and does not require clinic visits or direct enrollment by patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could help target policies and health resources to reduce income-related differences in life expectancy and improve outcomes for disadvantaged groups.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research using linked administrative and tax data has uncovered income–mortality gaps, but this project provides a more comprehensive, public, and regularly updated national resource.
Where this research is happening
-
National Bureau of Economic Research
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chetty, Raj — National Bureau of Economic Research
- Study coordinator: Chetty, Raj
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.