Gender gaps in healthy life expectancy as indicators of inequality for disability and chronic disease: cross-sectional evidence from 24 countries, years 2014–2019

Using gender gaps in healthy life expectancy as a metric for gender inequality in health is misleading. Countries with very different levels of development, healthcare systems and gender roles can have similar gender gaps, but substantial differences in the levels of mortality and health. Because these gaps mask important underlying differences in health and mortality between women and men, caution is warranted when using them.