Development of health prevention and rehabilitation and health promotion
Definition
Life expectancy expresses the average number of years that in the current mortality conditions a new born person is expected to continue to live.
Unit
years
Available dimensions
total
Methodological explanations
Average (mean) life expectancy is the indicator calculated on the basis of a unified methodology recommended by the WHO.
Life expectancy – a basic element of the life table.
The life tables consist of several functions of age, mathematically interrelated (including the number of survivors, number of decedents, and probability of dying, life expectancy), describing theoretical process of population extinction as the population ages. Values of these functions are calculated on the basis of the age and sex specific death and population rates, observed during a given period (usually 1 year).
Life tables are also used to assess population state of health. Thanks to the observation of mortality trends on the basis of life tables, demographic projections are possible.
