Abstract

What good does an education do you? Research shows that it can lengthen your life expectancy! Studies from all over the world have shown this. People who receive more schooling tend to live longer than people with less education. But no one had calculated the size of this effect before.

We analyzed hundreds of studies on education and life expectancy. Our results show that the risk of death drops by nearly 2% with each additional year of education. We found that education decreases mortality risk in people of all ages and socio-demographic backgrounds. Our findings show just how much education contributes to a person’s health and longevity. Receiving an education is as good for your health as eating your vegetables!