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 - 2018

Y1 - 2018

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

VL - 47

SP - 611

EP - 617

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Supplement

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Supplement

SN - 1403-4956

ER -