Divergences and convergences in recent French mortality patterns

Jacob Martin , Institut national d'études démographiques
Carlo Giovanni Camarda, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

The path towards low mortality and high longevity has been extensively studied at the national level. Theories of health transition predict highly heterogeneous patterns among sub-populations in the same country, with convergence in the health and mortality conditions of the sub-populations preceded by periods of divergence. Regions within a country are sub-populations that are often marked by economic inequalities and cultural and environmental differences. In this article we examine the question of regional divergence and convergence in mortality patterns among the French départements. Using life tables for the 95 départements of Metropolitan France for the years 1970--2019, we find an initial period of convergence in life expectancy at birth until the mid-1990s, followed by divergence, then a shift towards convergence again in the most recent years for men. The pattern of divergence is more pronounced for remaining life expectancy at older ages. We will also assess the degree of convergence or divergence between départements in other summary measures of mortality, including lifespan variation indicators, the modal age at death, and age standardized death rates, and compare the trends with those of life expectancy.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo