TY - JOUR
T1 - Ageing populations in the Nordic countries
T2 - Mortality and longevity from 1990 to 2014
AU - Jørgensen, Terese Sara Høj
AU - Fors, Stefan
AU - Nilsson, Charlotte Juul
AU - Enroth, Linda
AU - Aaltonen, Mari
AU - Sundberg, Louise
AU - Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik
AU - Strand, Bjørn Heine
AU - Chang, Milan
AU - Jylhä, Marja
PY - 2019/8/1
Y1 - 2019/8/1
N2 - AIMS: Cross-country comparisons of mortality and longevity patterns of Nordic populations could contribute with novel insights into the compositional changes of these populations. We investigated three metrics of population ageing: the proportion of the population aged 75+ and 90+ years, the proportion of birth cohorts reaching 75 and 90 years, and life expectancy (LE) at age 75 and 90 years in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland, in the period 1990-2014.METHODS: Demographic information was collected from national statistical databases and the Human Mortality Database.RESULTS: All metrics on population ageing increased during the study period, but there were some cross-country variations. Finland experienced a notably steep increase in the proportion of 75+ and 90+ year olds compared to the other countries. Regarding the proportion reaching old ages, the Finnish lagged behind from the beginning, but females decreased this difference. The Danes were more similar to the other countries at the beginning, but did not experience the same increase over time. Gender-specific LE at age 75 and 90 years was similar overall in the five countries.CONCLUSIONS: Developments in cross-country variation suggest that survival until old age has become more similar for Finnish females and more different for Danish males and females compared with the other countries in recent decades. This provides perspectives on the potential to improve longevity in Denmark and Finland. Similarities in LE in old age suggest that expected mortality in old age has been more similar throughout the study period.
AB - AIMS: Cross-country comparisons of mortality and longevity patterns of Nordic populations could contribute with novel insights into the compositional changes of these populations. We investigated three metrics of population ageing: the proportion of the population aged 75+ and 90+ years, the proportion of birth cohorts reaching 75 and 90 years, and life expectancy (LE) at age 75 and 90 years in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland, in the period 1990-2014.METHODS: Demographic information was collected from national statistical databases and the Human Mortality Database.RESULTS: All metrics on population ageing increased during the study period, but there were some cross-country variations. Finland experienced a notably steep increase in the proportion of 75+ and 90+ year olds compared to the other countries. Regarding the proportion reaching old ages, the Finnish lagged behind from the beginning, but females decreased this difference. The Danes were more similar to the other countries at the beginning, but did not experience the same increase over time. Gender-specific LE at age 75 and 90 years was similar overall in the five countries.CONCLUSIONS: Developments in cross-country variation suggest that survival until old age has become more similar for Finnish females and more different for Danish males and females compared with the other countries in recent decades. This provides perspectives on the potential to improve longevity in Denmark and Finland. Similarities in LE in old age suggest that expected mortality in old age has been more similar throughout the study period.
U2 - 10.1177/1403494818780024
DO - 10.1177/1403494818780024
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29886814
SN - 1403-4956
VL - 47
SP - 611
EP - 617
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Supplement
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Supplement
ER -
