At the start of the 21st century, all European countries are faced with substantial inequalities in health within their populations. People with a lower level of education, a lower occupational class, or a lower level of income tend to die at a younger age, and to have a higher prevalence of most types of health problems. This report was written at the request of the UK Presidency of the European Union (EU), and aims to review the evidence on the existence of socioeconomic inequalities in health in the EU and its immediate neighbours. It presents data on inequalities in mortality in 21 countries, on inequalities in self-assessed health in 19 countries, and on inequalities in smoking in 24 countries.