Research carried out by Prof Morag Treanor, of Heriot-Watt University, for the charity Aberlour, found that people from the most deprived parts of Scotland are three times more likely to die before they are 25 than those from the least deprived.
Prof Treanor said the results showed the "massive inequality" between rich and poor in Scotland. It also showed young men and boys were far more likely to die before 25 than young women and girls.
Prof Treanor compared the death rates in the most deprived 20% of Scottish areas with the least deprived. She found a rate of 0.21 deaths per 1,000 people among under 25s in the poorest areas compared with a rate of 0.07 in the richest.
Prof Treanor said one major reason for the higher incidence of early deaths was poverty and its impact across the whole of a child's life.
She said this was linked to housing, neighbourhoods, health inequalities, nutrition, outdoor space, education and access to activities as well as the stresses poverty caused families.
Prof Treanor said: "The results of the research really couldn't paint a clearer message and underlines the massive inequality between rich and poor in this country."
Figures released by the National Records of Scotland in August showed that a boy born last year in one of the 10% most deprived areas of Scotland would have a life expectancy 13 years shorter than a boy from the most affluent area. It said a boy born in the poorer areas can expect to spend almost a third of his life (29.2%) in poor health.
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