Why Does the Rate of Mortality Improvement Vary?
How long people live has significant implications not only for their well-being but also for the finances of the Social Security program. This project consists of two briefs on mortality rates, one that is focused on the United States and a second one that provides an international perspective. nThe first brief explores mortality trends and patterns in the United States since 1900 and discusses the mortality improvements in the last 40 years by education level and by disease. It also outlines the major drivers of mortality improvements in the last decade and explores which factors may influence the rate of improvement over next 75 years. nThe second brief compares U.S. life expectancy – separately for men and women – to nine other OECD countries and focuses on factors that may have contributed to the U.S. falling behind.
Publications
