Normalized lifespan inequality: disentangling the longevity-lifespan variability nexus
Permanyer, Iñaki (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Shi, Jiaxin (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Previous studies have documented a historically strong and negative association between countries' life expectancy (i. e. , average longevity) and length-of-life inequality (i. e. , variability in ages at death). The relationship between both variables might be partially explained by life expectancy increasing at a faster pace than maximal length of life, a phenomenon that mechanically compresses the age-at-death distribution and has not been taken into consideration in previous studies. In this paper, we propose a new approach to lifespan inequality measurement that accounts for the (uncertainly) bounded nature of length-of-life. Applying the new approach to the countries of the Human Mortality Database, we observe that the decline in overall lifespan variability typically associated with increases in longevity seems to stop and even reverse at higher levels of life expectancy. This suggests the emergence of worrying ethical dilemmas, whereby higher achievements in longevity would only be possible at the expense of higher lifespan variability.
Grants:	European Commission. Horizon 2020 864616 European Commission. Horizon 2020 716323 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RYC-2013-14196
Note:	Altres ajuts: Leverhulme Trust Grant
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Lifespan inequality ; Life expectancy ; Maximal lifespan record ; Mortality
Published in:	Genus, Vol. 78 Núm. 2 (2022) , p. 1-29, ISSN 2035-5556

DOI: 10.1186/s41118-021-00150-6
PMID: 35034974

30 p, 5.3 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles