Compression of mortality: the evolution in the variability in the age of death in Latin America

Bernardo L. Queiroz, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Marcos Gonzaga, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Everton E. C. Lima, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

We present an analysis of the comparative quality of data that underlie national-level mortality estimates and the evolution the mortality age profile for Latin America populations over various time periods (staring year in parenthesis): Chile (1920), Mexico (1930), Brazil (1980), Argentina (1970), Colombia (1964), and Peru (1972), Costa Rica (1963), Puerto Rico (1970), Panama (1960), Guatemala (1964), Cuba (1970), Dominican Republic (1960), and Uruguay (1960) . The analysis focuses on two main points: (i) the construction of an adequate age pattern of mortality for Latin America, and (ii) evolution of the distribution of deaths over age. We also compared evolution and trends in Latin America with some Eastern European countries and use the Swedish experience as a benchmark standard. We make extensive use of mortality data available at the Latin America Human Mortality Database and the HMD. The study suggests several important conclusions concerning the quality of available mortality data; rapid change in the epidemiological profile and rapid concentration of mortality at older ages for these populations.