Remaining life expectancy at age 25 and probability of survival to age 75, by socio-economic status and Aboriginal ancestry

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Although life expectancy in Canada is among the longest in the world,¹ it differs across population groups.^2-6  Until recently, estimates by socio-economic indicators and for Aboriginal peoples have generally not been available, because information about these characteristics is not recorded on death registrations.  With data from the 1991 to 2001 census mortality follow-up study, which tracked mortality in a 15% sample of the population, it became possible to construct life tables for such groups.  These life tables have been updated to include deaths through to the end of 2006 (see The data).  This report summarizes the updated findings.  The objectives are to calculate remaining life expectancy at age 25 and the probability of survival to age 75 during the 1991-to-2006 period by income adequacy, education and residence in shelters, rooming houses and hotels, and for Registered Indians, non-Status Indians and Métis.

Life expectancy at age 25

At age 25, remaining life expectancy for members of the 1991 to 2006 Canadian census mortality follow-up cohort overall was 52.6 years among men and 57.9 years among women (Table 1).  However, estimates of life expectancy varied with income, education, housing, and Aboriginal ancestry. 

Table 1 Remaining life expectancy at age 25, by sex, income adequacy quintile, education, housing and Aboriginal ancestry, non-institutional cohort members aged 25 or older, Canada, 1991 to 2006

Life expectancy was shorter for people in lower income adequacy quintiles.  For men, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 55.3 years among those in the highest income quintile, but 48.2 years among those in the lowest, a difference of 7.1 years.  Among women, the corresponding estimates were 59.9 years versus 55.0 years, a difference of 4.9 years.

As well, lower levels of education were associated with shorter life expectancy.  For example, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 56.5 years for men with a university degree, but 50.5 years for those with less than secondary graduation, a difference of 6.0 years.  The figures for women were 60.6 and 56.4 years, a difference of 4.2 years.

Residents of shelters, rooming houses and hotels at time of the 1991 Census had a considerably shorter life expectancy than did other Canadians.  For men in such accommodations, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 41.8 years, or 10.8 years less than for the entire male cohort.  For their female counterparts, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 49.7 years, or about 8.2 years less than for the entire female cohort.

Life expectancy at age 25 was also shorter for cohort members reporting Aboriginal ancestry.  Among men, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 46.9 years for Registered Indians, 48.1 years for non-Status Indians, and 48.5 years for Métis—4.1 to 5.7 years less than for all men in the cohort.  Among women, remaining life expectancy at age 25 was 51.1 years for Registered Indians, 53.3 years for non-Status Indians, and 52.5 years for Métis—4.6 to 6.8 years less than for all women in the cohort.

Probability of survival to age 75

In previous studies, death before age 75 has been considered premature.^7,8 Overall, 65% of male and 78% of female cohort members were expected to live to at least age 75 (Table 2).

Table 2 Probability of survival to age 75, by sex, income adequacy quintile, education, housing and Aboriginal ancestry, non-institutional cohort members aged 25 or older, Canada, 1991 to 2006

The probability of survival to age 75 varied by income adequacy quintile.  Among men, the probability was 73% for those in the highest quintile and 50% for those in the lowest.  The pattern was similar for women, although the gradient was not as steep: their probability of living to age 75 was 83% for those in the highest quintile, and 70% for those in the lowest. 

By level of education, degree-holders had the highest probability of living to age 75 (77% for men, 85% for women), whereas the lowest probability was for people who had not graduated from secondary school (59% for men, 74% for women).  Differences were greater for men (18.4 percentage points) than for women (10.9 percentage points).  The largest gap was between those who had and had not graduated from secondary school.

About a third (31%) of men residing in shelters, rooming houses and hotels at the time of the 1991 Census were expected to live to age 75―34 percentage points below the figure for all men in the cohort.  Among women, 56% of those in shelters, rooming houses and hotels could expect to live to age 75―22 percentage points below the figure for all women in the cohort.

The probability of living to age 75 was also relatively low for Registered Indians, non-Status Indians and Métis.  Among men, the probability was 48% for Registered Indians, 50% for non-Status Indians and 54% for Métis―10 to 17 percentage points lower than for the entire male cohort (Table 2).  Among women, the probability of survival to age 75 was 59% for Registered Indians, and 61% for non-Status Indians and for Métis―17 to 19 percentage points lower than for the entire female cohort.

Survival curves for cohort members in the lowest income adequacy quintile were below the curves for people with less than secondary graduation (Figure 1).  However, the survival curves for residents of shelters, rooming houses and hotels were far lower.

Figure 1 Probability of survival for residents of shelters/rooming houses/hotels, people in lowest income adequacy quintile and people with less than secondary graduation, non-institutional cohort members aged 25 or older, Canada, 1991 to 2006

Among men, survival curves for Registered Indians, non-Status Indians and Métis were broadly similar, although each was below the curve for the entire male cohort (Figure 2).  Among women, differences between the survival curves of the three Aboriginal groups were even smaller than for men, but the difference from the entire female cohort was larger.

Figure 2 Probability of survival, by sex and Aboriginal ancestry, non-institutional cohort members aged 25 or older, Canada, 1991 to 2006

Conclusion

Life tables for the 1991-to-2006 period, calculated by various indicators of socio-economic status and for Aboriginal groups, reveal considerable ranges in remaining life expectancy at age 25 and in the probability of survival to age 75.

Acknowledgements

The Canadian census mortality and cancer follow-up study was funded by the Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute of Health Information (original study), the Healthy Environment and Consumer Safety Branch of Health Canada (study extensions), and the Health Analysis Division of Statistics Canada.  We are grateful to Canada's provincial and territorial registrars of vital statistics, who provided the death data used in this study; to Statistics Canada, which conducted the 1991 Census; and to the people of Canada, whose answers to the long-form census questionnaire provided the basis for these analyses.