This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Dissecting the compression of mortality in Switzerland, 1876-2005

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Siu Lan Karen Cheung (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
Jean-Marie Robine (INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale))
Fred Paccaud (University of Lausanne)
Alfio Marazzi (University of Lausanne)
Abstract

This paper aims to examine changes in common longevity and variability of the adult life span, and attempts to answer whether or not the compression of mortality continues in Switzerland in the years 1876-2005. The results show that the negative relationships between the large increase in the adult modal age at death, observed at least from the 1920s, and the decrease in the standard deviation of the ages at deaths occurring above it, illustrate a significant compression of adult mortality. Typical adult longevity increased by about 10% during the last fifty years in Switzerland, and adult heterogeneity in the age at death decreased in the same proportion. This analysis has not found any evidence suggesting that we are approaching longevity limits in term of modal or even maximum life spans. It ascertains a slowdown in the reduction of adult heterogeneity in longevity, already observed in Japan and other low mortality countries.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol21/19/21-19.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Article provided by Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany in its journal Demographic Research.

Volume (Year): 21 (2009)
Issue (Month): 19 (October)
Pages: 569-598
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:21:y:2009:i:19

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.demogr.mpg.de/

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Editorial Office).

Related research
Keywords: compression of mortality; typical longevity; variability of adult life span;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. A. R. Thatcher, 1999. "The long-term pattern of adult mortality and the highest attained age," Journal Of The Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 162(1), pages 5-43. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Vladimir Canudas-Romo, 2008. "The modal age at death and the shifting mortality hypothesis," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(30), pages 1179-1204, July. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? You too can volunteer for RePEc, for example by encouraging others to use our services.

This page was last updated on 2009-12-8.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.