Expectations Aplenty: Paper presented to the 10th National Conference of the Australian Population Association, Melbourne, November 2000.

Abstract

This paper provides a summary of the history of mortality improvement rates for the population in Australia. A basis of projection of mortality rates is briefly discussed utilising various improvement rates derived directly from past experience and comparing these to the rates used for official projections. We provide a set of expectations of life by current age to allow for improvement. Finally, we explore what can be considered to be meant by ‘old age’ in the context of life table statistics and the eligibility age for the social security age pension. Show more