A study has revealed that every year spent in school or university positively impacts life expectancy, and the lack of education can be as detrimental to health as smoking or heavy drinking. The study examined data from various countries, including industrialised nations like the UK and US, and developing countries like China and Brazil. It found that for each year spent in full-time education, an adult’s mortality risk fell by 2 per cent. Completing primary, secondary, and tertiary education was found to be equivalent to the lifelong benefits of maintaining a healthy diet, reducing the risk of death by 34 per cent compared to those with no formal education.