This issue offers a summary of available research results on differences in mortality and life expectancy for Germany. This summary not only includes studies based on comparisons between socioeconomic status groups but also takes into account regional analyses which outline the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and life expectancy on the level of the federal states. In addition to that, Thomas Lampert and Lars Eric Kroll also examine time trends that can be observed with regard to the social differences in mortality and life expectancy. Finally, the available findings for Germany are compared with results for other comparable countries and discussed, paying due consideration to the deficits in the data basis.