Future mortality improvements in the ^G7 countries

This paper provides projections of future life expectancy for the ^G7 countries. It is shown that a continuing increase in life expectancy is probable in all considered countries

Introduction

Life expectancy at birth in high developed countries has increased significantly over the last 50 years, for example, by about nine years in the USA, 11 years in Germany and even 17 years in Japan. In the recent past, this development has come along with another phenomenon. The increase in male life expectancy has been higher than in female life expectancy in six of the seven ^G7 countries. For example, from 1980 to 2003, male life expectancy at birth rose by 5.7 years in England and