Adding “education’s value” to mortality statistics: each extra year of schooling reduces adult mortality by roughly 1.9%

For every additional year of schooling, the average risk of dying in adulthood drops by about 1.9%. This effect is strongest among people aged 18–49, where the reduction is roughly 2.9% per extra year; for those over 70, it’s only 0.8%. Those who manage to stay in school tend to come from more privileged backgrounds, so it’s hard to isolate exactly how much of this benefit stems from education itself.

There is no monetary cost. The expense lies in the time and effort required to stay in school; tuition fees are covered under Section 4 of this chapter (vocational school tuition and grants). The real challenge is maintaining persistence — staying in school without dropping out.

This conclusion comes from a comprehensive meta-analysis that pooled findings from 603 separate studies conducted in 70 locations across 59 countries between January 1980 and May 2023. There is a clear dose-response relationship between years of schooling and adult mortality (all causes combined): each extra year reduces mortality risk by an average of 1.9% (95% confidence interval: 1.8–2.0). For individuals aged 18–49, the reduction is 2.9% per year (2.8–3.0); for those over 70, it’s 0.8% (0.6–1.0). No significant gender differences were observed, nor did socioeconomic development level appear to influence the effect.

This finding remains controversial. The authors themselves reported evidence of publication bias (p<0.0001), meaning studies showing stronger effects were more likely to be published. Results also varied widely across individual studies. All included research relied on observational tracking rather than controlled trials. Because years of schooling correlate closely with family background, regional factors, and occupation, it’s difficult to determine how much of the 1.9% reduction is truly attributable to education versus other advantages enjoyed by long-term students. Conversely, individuals with childhood illnesses or mental health issues are more prone to dropping out and dying earlier, which could artificially inflate the apparent educational benefit. Thus, while this data clearly shows a positive link between education and longevity, it does not prove that “each extra year of schooling adds 1.9% to your lifespan.” The overall benefit is classified as modest: most readers will only gain a few extra years at most by staying in school an additional three or four years, so the impact remains relatively small. The primary beneficiaries are the individuals themselves. 〔10355〕

IHME-CHAIN Collaborators (2024). Effects of education on adult mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 9(3), e155-e165. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00306-7