Although the evidence base on social inequalities and environmental risk is fragmented and data are often available for few countries only, it indicates that inequalities are a major challenge for environmental health policies. The review confirms that people living in adverse socioeconomic conditions in Europe can suffer twice as much from multiple and cumulative environmental exposures as their wealthier neighbours, or even more. Similarly, inequalities in exposure to environmental threats have been identified for vulnerable groups such as children and elderly people, low-education households, unemployed persons, and migrants and ethnic groups. Only little evidence is available indicating that in some circumstances, well-off and advantaged social groups are.
