Table 2 Distributions (% of person‐years) of education and social class and their correlations in three age groups and three periods and mortality rate ratios in 1991–2000*.

Women	1971–1980 (%)	1981–1990 (%)	1991–2000
			%	Mortality rate ratio†
Age 30–39 years
Education (years)
>13	11.2	13.6	20.1	1.00
10–12	34.7	50.6	62.2	1.60
<9	54.2	35.7	17.7	3.47
Total	100	100	100
Social class
Upper white collar	12.6	14.0	18.4	1.00
Lower white collar	48.3	52.8	53.8	1.36
Manual	39.0	33.3	27.9	2.39
Total	100	100	100
Correlation between education and social class	0.511	0.492	0.478
Number of person‐years	2 643 302	3 509 175	3 124 023
Number of deaths	2163	2526	2169
Age 40–49 years
Education (years)
>13	8.1	12.4	17.3	1.00
10–12	21.2	36.3	50.7	1.33
<9	70.7	51.3	32.0	2.05
Total	100	100	100
Social class
Upper white collar	10.4	13.9	16.9	1.00
Lower white collar	39.8	48.9	53.9	1.16
Manual	49.8	37.3	29.2	1.94
Total	100	100	100
Correlation between  education and social class	0.533	0.532	0.499
Number of person‐years	2 162 547	2 706 701	3 407 561
Number of deaths	4448	4586	5809
Age 50–59 years
Education (years)
>13	5.4	7.7	13.3	1.00
10–12	15.8	22.2	37.1	1.30
<9	78.9	70.2	49.5	1.75
Total	100	100	100
Social class
Upper white collar	8.7	10.2	14.6	1.00
Lower white collar	32.7	38.6	49.3	1.13
Manual	58.6	51.2	36.1	1.63
Total	100	100	100
Correlation between education and social class	0.519	0.534	0.523
Number of person‐years	1 907 201	2 284 239	2 585 388
Number of deaths	10 096	9345	9097

*Farmers, entrepreneurs and persons with unknown occupation excluded.

†Mortality rate ratio compared with the first category during 1991–2000, adjusted for 5‐year age group and and 5‐year period.