Increase in common longevity and the compression of mortality: the case of Japan.
This study shows a strong increase in the modal age at death (M) in Japan over a period of 50 calendar years, accompanied by a clear decrease in the standard deviation of ages at death above M (SD(M+)) until the 1990s for men and the mid-1980s for women. For the most recent periods SD(M+) appears to have stopped decreasing, even though M has continued to increase linearly. This stagnation in SD(M+) has been accompanied by stagnation in q(M). The number of deaths at M (d(M)) and the number of deaths at and above M (d(M+)) have increased, but significantly more slowly since the period 1975-79. Since the 1980s an acceleration in the increase of M+kSD(M+), our indicator of the longest life durations, has been essentially due to the pause in SD(M+). Our data do not suggest that we are approaching an upper limit in human longevity.
Cheung
Siu Lan Karen
SL
National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Health and Demography, Montpellier, France. SLKCheung@valdorel.fnclcc.fr
Robine
Jean-Marie
JM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015993:Life Tables; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D012737:Sex Factors