Starting from 1998 there is a little knowledge about mortality inequality since data collection on socio-economic indicators of deceased has been discontinued and resumed only in 2011. This paper aims to present new estimates of socioeconomic mortality inequality in Russia in 2015 and to quantify the contribution of age- and cause-specific factors to socioeconomic differences in life expectancy at age 30 by educational attainment (hereinafter LE at 30).

LE at 30 were calculated using 2015 microcensus (1.5% of population) and individual death records (both produced by Federal state statistics service). Mortality disparities were assessed using rate differences and rate ratios. Contribution of age- and cause-specific mortality to difference in the LE at age 30 by educational level was estimated using Andreev’s decomposition method.

The LE at 30 of men and women was 37.9 and 47.9 years respectively. The social gradient is expressed clearly: higher educational level, correlates with higher LE. Difference in LE between men and women decreases as education level grows.

Absolute mortality differences between high-educated and low-educated is 17.5 and 14.5 years for men and women respectively, rate ratio is 1.6 and 1.4 respectively. We conclude that despite the fact that LE has returned to the level of the late 1980’s, the level of absolute and relative inequality in mortality has dramatically increased.

Mortality gap between high-educated and low-educated men is mainly due to excess mortality in 30-60 (11.8 years of all difference). The difference in LE at 30 is the result of cardiovascular mortality (33%), external (25%) and other (8%) causes of death. For women difference is distributed more evenly and the result of the same causes of death ranking in the same order (42%, 12% 13%).

The contribution of neoplasms is 1.2 and 0.9 years for men and women respectively ranking only 6th position.