The National Cancer Center Japan on Thursday released its first estimates of mortality rates by education level for all causes of death, based on a national census and demographic statistics.
The age-adjusted estimated mortality rate of junior high school graduates was around 1.4 times higher than that of those who graduated from universities or junior or technical colleges, according to the center.
"The gap is created not because academic backgrounds have a direct impact on the mortality rate, but because smoking, excessive intake of salt and other risk factors differ depending on education level," an official at the center said.