A new study published in The Lancet Public Health suggests spending more years in school may be just as important for your health as maintaining a healthy diet, or avoiding smoking. 

Researchers found a significant link between education levels and a lower risk of death.

The study, the largest of its kind, analyzed data from 59 countries and included over 10,000 data points. 

Their findings revealed that each additional year of education reduced the risk of death by 2%. 

People who completed 18 years of education – typically those with a college degree – had a 34% lower risk of death compared to those with no schooling.

“Education is important in its own right, not just for its benefits on health, but now being able to quantify the magnitude of this benefit is a significant development,” said Dr. Terje Andreas Eikemo, co-author of the study and head of the Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Interestingly, the researchers found the positive effects of education held true regardless of age, sex, location, or socioeconomic background. 

This means more years of schooling appear to benefit everyone, from young adults to people over 70, and in both wealthy and developing nations.

The study’s authors highlighted the need for increased global investment in education. 

“We need to increase social investments to enable access to better and more education around the globe to stop the persistent inequalities that are costing lives,” said Mirza Balaj, co-lead author of the study.

“More education leads to better employment and higher income, better access to healthcare, and helps us take care of our own health,” Balaj added. “Highly educated people also tend to develop a larger set of social and psychological resources that contribute to their health and lifespan.”

While the study focused heavily on data from high-income countries, the researchers emphasized the need for further research in low- and middle-income settings, particularly in Africa, where data is scarce.