GITNUXREPORT 2026

Health Inequality Statistics

Health inequality persists across race, income, geography, and gender worldwide.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Elderly (65+) in US have fall-related death rates 4 times higher than under 65 (72.8 vs 18.2 per 100,000, 2021)

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Disabled adults have diabetes rates 1.6 times higher (16.3% vs 10.2%, US 2020)

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People with disabilities have unemployment rates 2 times higher, linked to poorer health outcomes (US, 2022)

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Centenarians have dementia prevalence 50% vs 10% for 65-74 year olds (global, 2020)

Statistic 5

US adults with mobility disability have heart disease 2.6 times higher odds (2021)

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Children with disabilities have 3 times higher bullying rates, impacting mental health (US, 2020)

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In EU, disabled women have 25% higher poverty rates, exacerbating health gaps (2021)

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UK over-85s have hospital admission rates 5 times higher for falls (2021)

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Intellectually disabled adults have life expectancy 20 years lower (global average)

Statistic 10

US veterans with PTSD have suicide rates 3.5 times higher (37 vs 10 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 11

Hearing impaired elderly have depression odds 2.0 times higher (US, 2019)

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In Japan, 90+ year olds have hip fracture rates 1,500 per 100,000 vs 50 under 65 (2020)

Statistic 13

Elderly disabled in US have 50% higher COVID-19 mortality (2021)

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Autism spectrum children have 4 times obesity risk (US 2020)

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In US, 80+ women have osteoporosis prevalence 50% vs 20% men same age (2020)

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In US, women have life expectancy 5.8 years longer than men (80.2 vs 74.4 years, 2021)

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Men have 1.5 times higher suicide rates than women globally (12.3 vs 5.9 per 100,000, 2021)

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Transgender individuals have depression rates 40% vs 6.7% cisgender adults (US, 2022)

Statistic 19

Women in US have anxiety disorder prevalence 23.4% vs 14.3% men (past year, 2021)

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Gay and bisexual men have HIV diagnosis rates 44 times higher than straight men (US, 2021)

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Lesbian and bisexual women have higher obesity rates 29% vs 23% heterosexual (US, 2013-2016)

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In India, female infant mortality is 1.2 times higher than males in some states (NFHS-5)

Statistic 23

UK transgender youth have self-harm rates 3 times higher (25% vs 8%, 2021)

Statistic 24

Men have 80% higher workplace injury-related deaths globally (ILO, 2019)

Statistic 25

Bisexual women have cervical screening rates 10% lower (UK, 2020)

Statistic 26

In Saudi Arabia, women's healthcare access delayed by 40% due to guardianship (2020 study)

Statistic 27

Australian Indigenous women have maternal mortality 2.3 times higher than non-Indigenous (25.6 vs 11.1 per 100,000, 2018-20)

Statistic 28

LGBQ+ adults have chronic pain prevalence 28% vs 19% heterosexual (US, 2021)

Statistic 29

In UK, men have alcohol-related liver disease deaths 3 times women (2021)

Statistic 30

Transgender people have 41% suicide attempt rates vs 4.6% general pop (US 2015)

Statistic 31

Globally, women bear 75% unpaid care work, linked to stress/health (2020)

Statistic 32

Gay men have 20% higher colorectal cancer risk due to screening gaps (US)

Statistic 33

In Sweden, non-binary individuals have 5 times higher antidepressant use (2020)

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US rural residents have suicide rates 19.4 per 100,000 vs 13.6 urban (2021)

Statistic 35

Rural US adults have obesity rates 31.6% vs 28.8% urban (2017-2020)

Statistic 36

Appalachian region has opioid overdose deaths 50% higher than national average (42.8 vs 28.3 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 37

Rural hospitals have 20% higher heart failure readmission rates (25% vs 20.8%, Medicare 2020)

Statistic 38

US rural children have dental care access 15% lower (unmet needs 12% vs 9% urban, 2021)

Statistic 39

Rural India has maternal mortality ratio 167 per 100,000 vs 103 urban (2019-21)

Statistic 40

Canadian rural areas have cancer survival rates 5% lower (5-year, 2015-2019)

Statistic 41

In China, western rural provinces have infant mortality 18.5 per 1,000 vs 5.2 eastern urban (2020)

Statistic 42

Australian remote areas have diabetes prevalence 2 times higher (15% vs 7.5%, 2018-19)

Statistic 43

UK rural areas have lower GP access (1.5 doctors/1,000 vs 1.8 urban, 2022)

Statistic 44

Sub-Saharan Africa rural women have HIV rates 8.5% vs 5.2% urban (15-49, 2021)

Statistic 45

Brazil Amazon region has malaria incidence 90% of national cases despite 5% population (2021)

Statistic 46

Russian Siberia has TB mortality 3 times higher than Moscow (25 vs 8 per 100,000, 2020)

Statistic 47

US rural cancer mortality 18% higher adjusted for risk (2015-2019)

Statistic 48

Urban US children have asthma hospitalization 1.5 times rural (2020)

Statistic 49

In Ethiopia, rural under-5 mortality 98 per 1,000 vs 42 urban (2019)

Statistic 50

Rural Canada has 30% higher wait times for specialists (2022)

Statistic 51

Pakistan rural women immunization coverage 65% vs 85% urban (2017-18)

Statistic 52

US Southern states have stroke death 30% higher than Northeast (2021)

Statistic 53

In the US, non-Hispanic Black women experience maternal mortality rates 3.2 times higher than non-Hispanic White women (55.3 vs 17.2 per 100,000 live births, 2021)

Statistic 54

Hispanic adults have a diabetes prevalence of 13.4% compared to 9.5% for non-Hispanic Whites (age-adjusted, 2017-2020)

Statistic 55

American Indian/Alaska Native people have liver disease mortality rates 3.5 times higher than Whites (28.2 vs 8.1 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 56

Asian Americans have lower heart disease death rates (80.5 per 100,000) than Whites (162.5 per 100,000, age-adjusted 2021)

Statistic 57

Non-Hispanic Black men have prostate cancer incidence rates 1.7 times higher than White men (169.9 vs 99.1 per 100,000, 2015-2019)

Statistic 58

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders have obesity rates of 43.1% vs 32.6% for Whites (adults 20+, 2017-2020)

Statistic 59

Black children are 4.2 times more likely to die from asthma than White children (4.2 vs 1.0 per million, 2018-2021)

Statistic 60

Hispanics have hypertension prevalence of 27.6% vs 41.9% for non-Hispanic Blacks (adults 18+, 2017-2020)

Statistic 61

In the UK, Black African men have stroke mortality 2.1 times higher than White men (age-standardized, 2018-2020)

Statistic 62

Indigenous Australians have diabetes rates 3 times higher than non-Indigenous (12.6% vs 4.3%, 2018-19)

Statistic 63

In Brazil, Black women have cervical cancer mortality 1.8 times higher than White women (14.5 vs 8.1 per 100,000, 2019)

Statistic 64

South Asian immigrants in Canada have heart disease rates 1.5 times higher than Europeans (age-adjusted, 2016)

Statistic 65

Maori in New Zealand have suicide rates 1.9 times higher than non-Maori (18.5 vs 9.8 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 66

In South Africa, Black Africans have HIV prevalence of 19.6% vs 0.3% for Whites (15-49 years, 2019)

Statistic 67

Roma in Europe have life expectancy 10-15 years lower than majority populations (average 62 vs 77 years)

Statistic 68

Globally, lowest income countries have life expectancy 66.8 years vs 78.1 in high-income (2021)

Statistic 69

Sub-Saharan Africa has under-5 mortality 74 per 1,000 vs 5 in Europe (2022)

Statistic 70

In US, Blacks have hypertension control rates 45% vs 55% Whites (2020)

Statistic 71

Hispanics have lower colorectal cancer screening 52% vs 67% non-Hispanic Whites (2021)

Statistic 72

Native Americans have suicide rates 1.8 times national average (18.0 vs 10.1 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 73

In Canada, Inuit have TB rates 300 times higher than Canadian-born non-Indigenous (2020)

Statistic 74

Black Britons have 3.5 times higher maternal mortality than Whites (2020-2022)

Statistic 75

In the US, low-income households (<$25k) have infant mortality 2.3 times higher than high-income (>$100k) (7.1 vs 3.1 per 1,000, 2021)

Statistic 76

Adults with less than high school education have heart disease mortality 2.1 times higher than college graduates (age-adjusted, 2021)

Statistic 77

Low SES children in US have obesity rates 19.7% vs 10.1% for high SES (ages 2-19, 2017-2020)

Statistic 78

Unemployed individuals have depression prevalence 2.5 times higher than employed (12-month, US 2022)

Statistic 79

Bottom income quintile has diabetes prevalence 13.8% vs 7.2% top quintile (US adults, 2011-2016)

Statistic 80

Medicaid enrollees have cancer mortality 1.4 times higher than privately insured (US, 2015-2019)

Statistic 81

Poor neighborhoods have life expectancy 12.8 years lower than affluent ones (US cities, 2020)

Statistic 82

Low-income women have breast cancer screening rates 68% vs 82% high-income (US, 2021)

Statistic 83

In UK, most deprived areas have stroke mortality 1.9 times higher than least deprived (2017-2019)

Statistic 84

In India, lowest wealth quintile has child stunting rates 45% vs 15% highest quintile (NFHS-5, 2019-21)

Statistic 85

Brazilian favelas have TB incidence 5 times higher than affluent areas (45 vs 9 per 100,000, 2020)

Statistic 86

In Australia, lowest SES group has suicide rates 2.2 times higher (17.5 vs 8.0 per 100,000, 2021)

Statistic 87

French banlieues have life expectancy 6 years lower than city centers (Paris, 2020)

Statistic 88

In Mexico, poorest quintile has maternal mortality 2.8 times higher (85 vs 30 per 100,000, 2018)

Statistic 89

In US, low-income (<100% FPL) have preventable hospitalization rates 3 times higher (250 vs 85 per 1,000 Medicare, 2020)

Statistic 90

Poor US adults smoke at 26% vs 8% affluent (2021)

Statistic 91

In EU, low education linked to 50% higher cancer mortality (2020)

Statistic 92

US uninsured have 40% lower preventive service use (2021)

Statistic 93

In China, rural poor have cataract blindness 4 times urban rich (2018)

Statistic 94

Nigeria lowest wealth has 60% child mortality risk vs top 10% (DHS 2018)

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While a zip code can add years to your life expectancy, these staggering statistics paint a stark picture of a world where your health is too often determined by your race, income, gender, or where you live.

Key Takeaways

In the US, non-Hispanic Black women experience maternal mortality rates 3.2 times higher than non-Hispanic White women (55.3 vs 17.2 per 100,000 live births, 2021)
Hispanic adults have a diabetes prevalence of 13.4% compared to 9.5% for non-Hispanic Whites (age-adjusted, 2017-2020)
American Indian/Alaska Native people have liver disease mortality rates 3.5 times higher than Whites (28.2 vs 8.1 per 100,000, 2021)
In the US, low-income households (<$25k) have infant mortality 2.3 times higher than high-income (>$100k) (7.1 vs 3.1 per 1,000, 2021)
Adults with less than high school education have heart disease mortality 2.1 times higher than college graduates (age-adjusted, 2021)
Low SES children in US have obesity rates 19.7% vs 10.1% for high SES (ages 2-19, 2017-2020)
US rural residents have suicide rates 19.4 per 100,000 vs 13.6 urban (2021)
Rural US adults have obesity rates 31.6% vs 28.8% urban (2017-2020)
Appalachian region has opioid overdose deaths 50% higher than national average (42.8 vs 28.3 per 100,000, 2021)
In US, women have life expectancy 5.8 years longer than men (80.2 vs 74.4 years, 2021)
Men have 1.5 times higher suicide rates than women globally (12.3 vs 5.9 per 100,000, 2021)
Transgender individuals have depression rates 40% vs 6.7% cisgender adults (US, 2022)
Elderly (65+) in US have fall-related death rates 4 times higher than under 65 (72.8 vs 18.2 per 100,000, 2021)
Disabled adults have diabetes rates 1.6 times higher (16.3% vs 10.2%, US 2020)
People with disabilities have unemployment rates 2 times higher, linked to poorer health outcomes (US, 2022)

Health inequality persists across race, income, geography, and gender worldwide.

Age and Disability Disparities

Elderly (65+) in US have fall-related death rates 4 times higher than under 65 (72.8 vs 18.2 per 100,000, 2021)
Disabled adults have diabetes rates 1.6 times higher (16.3% vs 10.2%, US 2020)
People with disabilities have unemployment rates 2 times higher, linked to poorer health outcomes (US, 2022)
Centenarians have dementia prevalence 50% vs 10% for 65-74 year olds (global, 2020)
US adults with mobility disability have heart disease 2.6 times higher odds (2021)
Children with disabilities have 3 times higher bullying rates, impacting mental health (US, 2020)
In EU, disabled women have 25% higher poverty rates, exacerbating health gaps (2021)
UK over-85s have hospital admission rates 5 times higher for falls (2021)
Intellectually disabled adults have life expectancy 20 years lower (global average)
US veterans with PTSD have suicide rates 3.5 times higher (37 vs 10 per 100,000, 2021)
Hearing impaired elderly have depression odds 2.0 times higher (US, 2019)
In Japan, 90+ year olds have hip fracture rates 1,500 per 100,000 vs 50 under 65 (2020)
Elderly disabled in US have 50% higher COVID-19 mortality (2021)
Autism spectrum children have 4 times obesity risk (US 2020)
In US, 80+ women have osteoporosis prevalence 50% vs 20% men same age (2020)

Age and Disability Disparities Interpretation

While society preaches equality, these statistics are the stark, unfunny punchline to a joke where the marginalized pay with their health, dignity, and years of life for a system that trips them up at every age.

Gender and Sexual Orientation Disparities

In US, women have life expectancy 5.8 years longer than men (80.2 vs 74.4 years, 2021)
Men have 1.5 times higher suicide rates than women globally (12.3 vs 5.9 per 100,000, 2021)
Transgender individuals have depression rates 40% vs 6.7% cisgender adults (US, 2022)
Women in US have anxiety disorder prevalence 23.4% vs 14.3% men (past year, 2021)
Gay and bisexual men have HIV diagnosis rates 44 times higher than straight men (US, 2021)
Lesbian and bisexual women have higher obesity rates 29% vs 23% heterosexual (US, 2013-2016)
In India, female infant mortality is 1.2 times higher than males in some states (NFHS-5)
UK transgender youth have self-harm rates 3 times higher (25% vs 8%, 2021)
Men have 80% higher workplace injury-related deaths globally (ILO, 2019)
Bisexual women have cervical screening rates 10% lower (UK, 2020)
In Saudi Arabia, women's healthcare access delayed by 40% due to guardianship (2020 study)
Australian Indigenous women have maternal mortality 2.3 times higher than non-Indigenous (25.6 vs 11.1 per 100,000, 2018-20)
LGBQ+ adults have chronic pain prevalence 28% vs 19% heterosexual (US, 2021)
In UK, men have alcohol-related liver disease deaths 3 times women (2021)
Transgender people have 41% suicide attempt rates vs 4.6% general pop (US 2015)
Globally, women bear 75% unpaid care work, linked to stress/health (2020)
Gay men have 20% higher colorectal cancer risk due to screening gaps (US)
In Sweden, non-binary individuals have 5 times higher antidepressant use (2020)

Gender and Sexual Orientation Disparities Interpretation

The statistics paint a grim, interconnected portrait of health as a privilege often denied by gender, sexuality, and identity, where women live longer but bear heavier invisible burdens, men die sooner from both silence and circumstance, and gender-diverse individuals pay a staggering toll simply for existing as themselves.

Geographic and Rural-Urban Disparities

US rural residents have suicide rates 19.4 per 100,000 vs 13.6 urban (2021)
Rural US adults have obesity rates 31.6% vs 28.8% urban (2017-2020)
Appalachian region has opioid overdose deaths 50% higher than national average (42.8 vs 28.3 per 100,000, 2021)
Rural hospitals have 20% higher heart failure readmission rates (25% vs 20.8%, Medicare 2020)
US rural children have dental care access 15% lower (unmet needs 12% vs 9% urban, 2021)
Rural India has maternal mortality ratio 167 per 100,000 vs 103 urban (2019-21)
Canadian rural areas have cancer survival rates 5% lower (5-year, 2015-2019)
In China, western rural provinces have infant mortality 18.5 per 1,000 vs 5.2 eastern urban (2020)
Australian remote areas have diabetes prevalence 2 times higher (15% vs 7.5%, 2018-19)
UK rural areas have lower GP access (1.5 doctors/1,000 vs 1.8 urban, 2022)
Sub-Saharan Africa rural women have HIV rates 8.5% vs 5.2% urban (15-49, 2021)
Brazil Amazon region has malaria incidence 90% of national cases despite 5% population (2021)
Russian Siberia has TB mortality 3 times higher than Moscow (25 vs 8 per 100,000, 2020)
US rural cancer mortality 18% higher adjusted for risk (2015-2019)
Urban US children have asthma hospitalization 1.5 times rural (2020)
In Ethiopia, rural under-5 mortality 98 per 1,000 vs 42 urban (2019)
Rural Canada has 30% higher wait times for specialists (2022)
Pakistan rural women immunization coverage 65% vs 85% urban (2017-18)
US Southern states have stroke death 30% higher than Northeast (2021)

Geographic and Rural-Urban Disparities Interpretation

The grim geography of disadvantage shows that where you live shouldn't determine how long you live, yet these statistics map a landscape where rural and remote places are too often left behind by the systems meant to keep us healthy.

Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

In the US, non-Hispanic Black women experience maternal mortality rates 3.2 times higher than non-Hispanic White women (55.3 vs 17.2 per 100,000 live births, 2021)
Hispanic adults have a diabetes prevalence of 13.4% compared to 9.5% for non-Hispanic Whites (age-adjusted, 2017-2020)
American Indian/Alaska Native people have liver disease mortality rates 3.5 times higher than Whites (28.2 vs 8.1 per 100,000, 2021)
Asian Americans have lower heart disease death rates (80.5 per 100,000) than Whites (162.5 per 100,000, age-adjusted 2021)
Non-Hispanic Black men have prostate cancer incidence rates 1.7 times higher than White men (169.9 vs 99.1 per 100,000, 2015-2019)
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders have obesity rates of 43.1% vs 32.6% for Whites (adults 20+, 2017-2020)
Black children are 4.2 times more likely to die from asthma than White children (4.2 vs 1.0 per million, 2018-2021)
Hispanics have hypertension prevalence of 27.6% vs 41.9% for non-Hispanic Blacks (adults 18+, 2017-2020)
In the UK, Black African men have stroke mortality 2.1 times higher than White men (age-standardized, 2018-2020)
Indigenous Australians have diabetes rates 3 times higher than non-Indigenous (12.6% vs 4.3%, 2018-19)
In Brazil, Black women have cervical cancer mortality 1.8 times higher than White women (14.5 vs 8.1 per 100,000, 2019)
South Asian immigrants in Canada have heart disease rates 1.5 times higher than Europeans (age-adjusted, 2016)
Maori in New Zealand have suicide rates 1.9 times higher than non-Maori (18.5 vs 9.8 per 100,000, 2021)
In South Africa, Black Africans have HIV prevalence of 19.6% vs 0.3% for Whites (15-49 years, 2019)
Roma in Europe have life expectancy 10-15 years lower than majority populations (average 62 vs 77 years)
Globally, lowest income countries have life expectancy 66.8 years vs 78.1 in high-income (2021)
Sub-Saharan Africa has under-5 mortality 74 per 1,000 vs 5 in Europe (2022)
In US, Blacks have hypertension control rates 45% vs 55% Whites (2020)
Hispanics have lower colorectal cancer screening 52% vs 67% non-Hispanic Whites (2021)
Native Americans have suicide rates 1.8 times national average (18.0 vs 10.1 per 100,000, 2021)
In Canada, Inuit have TB rates 300 times higher than Canadian-born non-Indigenous (2020)
Black Britons have 3.5 times higher maternal mortality than Whites (2020-2022)

Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Interpretation

These statistics collectively reveal that the genetic lottery is heavily rigged by the socioeconomic and racial biases of the societies we live in.

Socioeconomic Health Disparities

In the US, low-income households (<$25k) have infant mortality 2.3 times higher than high-income (>$100k) (7.1 vs 3.1 per 1,000, 2021)
Adults with less than high school education have heart disease mortality 2.1 times higher than college graduates (age-adjusted, 2021)
Low SES children in US have obesity rates 19.7% vs 10.1% for high SES (ages 2-19, 2017-2020)
Unemployed individuals have depression prevalence 2.5 times higher than employed (12-month, US 2022)
Bottom income quintile has diabetes prevalence 13.8% vs 7.2% top quintile (US adults, 2011-2016)
Medicaid enrollees have cancer mortality 1.4 times higher than privately insured (US, 2015-2019)
Poor neighborhoods have life expectancy 12.8 years lower than affluent ones (US cities, 2020)
Low-income women have breast cancer screening rates 68% vs 82% high-income (US, 2021)
In UK, most deprived areas have stroke mortality 1.9 times higher than least deprived (2017-2019)
In India, lowest wealth quintile has child stunting rates 45% vs 15% highest quintile (NFHS-5, 2019-21)
Brazilian favelas have TB incidence 5 times higher than affluent areas (45 vs 9 per 100,000, 2020)
In Australia, lowest SES group has suicide rates 2.2 times higher (17.5 vs 8.0 per 100,000, 2021)
French banlieues have life expectancy 6 years lower than city centers (Paris, 2020)
In Mexico, poorest quintile has maternal mortality 2.8 times higher (85 vs 30 per 100,000, 2018)
In US, low-income (<100% FPL) have preventable hospitalization rates 3 times higher (250 vs 85 per 1,000 Medicare, 2020)
Poor US adults smoke at 26% vs 8% affluent (2021)
In EU, low education linked to 50% higher cancer mortality (2020)
US uninsured have 40% lower preventive service use (2021)
In China, rural poor have cataract blindness 4 times urban rich (2018)
Nigeria lowest wealth has 60% child mortality risk vs top 10% (DHS 2018)

Socioeconomic Health Disparities Interpretation

These statistics paint a grim and universal ledger, proving that while your bank balance, your address, and your diploma don't determine your value as a human, they are often the grim accountants of your health, your time, and your very life.

Sources & References

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