Trends in mortality in Finland are reviewed over the past 20 years.  The author notes that "Finnish female life expectancy has increased more than five years since 1965-1969 and it is now slightly higher than the average in Western Europe.  It is also almost five years higher than the average life expectancy in Eastern Europe.  The male life expectancy has also risen by more than five years...."  However, the author also states that regional differences in mortality have not diminished over this period, despite prevention programs designed to reduce such differences.  Furthermore "socio-economic differences in mortality have increased during the same period among men, but had been relatively stable among the women."