Spotlight on Longevity September 2012: How does the 2011 Census change our view of population mortality at high ages?

Population mortality rates are a key reference for the study of high-age (90+) mortality as individual pension scheme and insurance datasets become too sparse and unreliable at those ages.  

We show that estimates based on the 2011 Census, while improving the accuracy of previous population estimates, may still overstate the population at high ages, resulting in significantly higher mortality rates for ages 90+ and corresponding reductions in the rates of mortality improvement over the past decade.

Our Longevity Services team produce regular commentaries known as 'Spotlight on Longevity'.  These focus on topical issues for those involved in the management and transfer of longevity risk.

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