Key Takeaways
- Women had a life expectancy of 79.3 years versus 73.5 for men in 2021, a 5.8 year gap.
- Men had 2.1 times higher age-adjusted suicide death rate at 22.8 per 100,000 versus 10.8 for women in 2021.
- Women experienced 1.5 times higher depression prevalence at 10.5% versus 6.2% for men in 2021.
- Disabled adults had 28.6% obesity rate versus 22.4% non-disabled in 2020.
- People with disabilities had 3x higher poverty rate at 25%.
- Disabled individuals had 20% lower life expectancy due to comorbidities.
- In 2021, non-Hispanic Black women in the US experienced a maternal mortality rate of 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is 2.6 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic White women at 26.6 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- American Indian and Alaska Native adults had a diabetes prevalence of 13.6% in 2019, compared to 7.4% among non-Hispanic White adults, representing a 84% higher rate.
- Hispanic children under age 18 had an obesity rate of 26.2% in 2017-2020, which is 1.5 times higher than the 14.3% rate for non-Hispanic White children.
- Rural residents had 20% higher heart disease death rate at 168 per 100,000 versus 140 in urban areas in 2020.
- Urban children had 15% higher asthma prevalence than rural at 8.5% versus 7.4% in 2019.
- Rural adults over 18 had 38% obesity rate versus 33% urban in 2021.
- In 2019, adults with household income less than $25,000 had obesity prevalence of 41.3%, compared to 29.7% for those with income over $75,000.
- Low-income children (below 100% FPL) had 23% unmet dental care needs in 2019, versus 7% for high-income children.
- Individuals with less than high school education had 2.5 times higher smoking rate at 28% versus 11% for college graduates in 2020.
Major health disparities by gender, race, disability, and income drive shorter lives, higher harms, and delayed care.
Related reading
Gender Disparities
Gender Disparities Interpretation
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LGBTQ+ and Disability Disparities
LGBTQ+ and Disability Disparities Interpretation
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Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Interpretation
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Rural-Urban Disparities
Rural-Urban Disparities Interpretation
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Socioeconomic Disparities
Socioeconomic Disparities Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Health Equity Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/health-equity-statistics
Aisha Okonkwo. "Health Equity Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/health-equity-statistics.
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Health Equity Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/health-equity-statistics.
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