The rich live 5 years longer

A new report reinforces the long-held view that rich people tend to live longer, healthier lives than the middle class and low-income Canadians.

The top 20 per cent of income earners in Canada live, on average, about five years longer than the lowest 20 per cent, according to a new report.

And aboriginals, consistently among the poorest of the poor, fare even worse: They can expect to live, on average, 10 years less than a non-native, and infant mortality rates in Indian and Inuit communities are three times the national average.

The wealthy are also considerably less likely to suffer from heart disease, to be injured, and to spend time in hospital, a new report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information reveals. "There's a very strong health-to-wealth link," Jennifer Zelmer, vice-president of research and analysis at CIHI, said in an interview, inform &to=http://www.globeandmail.com' target=_blank>GlobeAndMail