Are Aging Societies Aging Equally? Measuring Life Expectancy and Lifespan Variation Inequalities at Older Ages

Rosie Seaman , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Marilia Nepomuceno, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Socioeconomic inequalities in average life expectancy are considered to be the strongest reflection of inequalities in health and life chances but the WHO recommend that the distribution of health across all individuals also be monitored. This prompted studies into variation in age at death. Higher variation in death reflects greater heterogeneity or greater inequality. International evidence shows that the most deprived groups experience a double burden of mortality inequality: lower life expectancy and higher variation. At the national level, older ages have shown increasing variation in age at death. It is not clear if this national level trend is consistent across all socioeconomic groups. Measuring life expectancy and variation at older ages is important for understanding the extent to which ageing societies are ageing equally. We investigate life expectancy and lifespan variation changes between 1981 and 2011, at age 50, age 65 and age 75, using area-level deprivation to stratify the whole population of Scotland.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 6. Health & Mortality & Aging