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The Evolution of Longevity: Evidence from Canada

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  • Kevin Milligan
  • Tammy Schirle

Abstract

We find a steep earnings-longevity gradient using fifty years of administrative data from Canada, with men in the top ventile of earnings living eight years (11 percent) longer than those in the bottom ventile. For women, the difference is 3.6 years. Unlike the United States, this longevity gradient in Canada has shifted uniformly through time, with approximately equal gains across the earnings distribution. We compare our results using cross-sectional and cohort-based methods, finding similar trends but a steeper gradient when using cohorts. For middle-aged men, we find a cessation of mortality improvements in recent years, comparable to changes observed in the United States. Changes in income do not explain cross-time or cross-country differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Milligan & Tammy Schirle, 2018. "The Evolution of Longevity: Evidence from Canada," NBER Working Papers 24929, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24929
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    Cited by:

    1. James Banks & Janet Currie & Sonya Krutikova & Kjell G. Salvanes & Hannes Schwandt, 2021. "The Evolution of Mortality Inequality in 11 OECD Countries: Introduction," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 9-23, March.
    2. Jan L. M. Dhaene & Moshe A. Milevsky, 2024. "Egalitarian pooling and sharing of longevity risk', a.k.a. 'The many ways to skin a tontine cat," Papers 2402.00855, arXiv.org.
    3. Guy Lacroix & Francois Laliberté‐Auger & Pierre‐Carl Michaud & Daniel Parent, 2021. "The effect of college education on health and mortality: Evidence from Canada," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(S1), pages 105-118, November.
    4. Franca Glenzer & Pierre-Carl Michaud & Stefan Staubli, 2023. "Frames, Incentives, and Education: Effectiveness of Interventions to Delay Public Pension Claiming," NBER Working Papers 30938, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Kevin Milligan & Tammy Schirle, 2018. "Rich Man, Poor Man: The Policy Implications of Canadians Living Longer," e-briefs 282, C.D. Howe Institute.
    6. Frank T Denton & Byron G Spencer & Terry A Yip, 2019. "Age-Income Dynamics Over The Life Course: Cohort Transition Patterns In Relative Income Based On Canadian Tax Returns," Department of Economics Working Papers 2019-02, McMaster University.
    7. Marie Connolly & Akakpo Domefa-Konou & Marie-Louise Leroux, 2023. "Evaluating the relationship between income, survival and loss of autonomy among older Canadians," CIRANO Working Papers 2023s-04, CIRANO.
    8. Adriana Lleras‐Muney, 2022. "Education and income gradients in longevity: The role of policy," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(1), pages 5-37, February.
    9. Milevsky, Moshe A., 2020. "Swimming with wealthy sharks: longevity, volatility and the value of risk pooling," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 217-246, April.
    10. Brant Abbott & Giovanni Gallipoli, 2018. "Human Capital Inequality: Empirical Evidence," Working Papers 2018-085, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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