Metadata


Expected lifetime


0. Registration entry for subjects


0.1 Name

Expected lifetime

0.2 Subject area

Population

0.3 Responsible authority; office, division, person etc.

Ómar Harðarson
Guðjón Hauksson
Brynjólfur Sigurjónsson
Hagstofa Íslands
omar.hardarson@hagstofa.is
gudjon.hauksson@hagstofa.is
brynjolfur.sigurjonsson@hagstofa.is

0.4 Purpose and history

Death and life expectancy tables are based on statistical information from 1838 onwards. The mortality rate is found by putting number of deaths by age in proportion to the appropriate population. The mortality rate during the first year of life is similarly measured with regard to figures on live births.

0.5 Users and application

Municipalities, institutions, companies, organisations and individuals.

0.6 Sources

Parish reports, censuses and the National Register of Persons.

0.7 Legal basis for official statistics

Act on Statistics Iceland no. 24/1913.

0.8 Response burden


0.9 EEA and EU obligations


1. Contents


1.1 Description of content

In published material the following information appears on life expectancy:

  • The average life expectancy and survivors of 1,000 born for two consecutive years at a time by sex.
  • Contracted death and life expectancy table for five year periods by sex.

1.2 Statistical concepts

Average life expectancy: Shows how many years of life an individual, male or female, can expect to live from birth.

Survivors of 1,000 born: How many per 1,000 of newly born children are alive at a certain age. It is common to calculate survivors of 1,000 born by 1 year of age, 15 years, 50 years, 65 years and 80 years.

Mortality rate: Mortality rate shows how many on average will die in an age group per 1,000 alive at the beginning of each age group.

Life expectancy: Shows how many years of life an individual, male or female, has yet to live provided that he / she is alive at the beginning of a certain age group. It is common to calculate life expectancy: at birth, one year of age, 15 year, 50 years, 65 years and 80 years.

2. Time


2.1 Reference periods

Life expectancy tables are worked out annually for the past two consecutive calendar years.

2.2 Process time

Process time is six months; from end of year until June.

2.3 Punctuality

Figures on life expectancy are published in the Statistical Yearbook. Further infromation is available from the database of the Information Department of Statistics Iceland.

2.4 Frequency of releases

Figures on life expectancy are published once per year in the Statistical Yearbook of Iceland.

3. Reliability and security


3.1 Accuracy and reliability

The calculation of average life expectancy is based on data from the National Register of Persons, where all information on population changes is gathered. The accuracy and reliability of data is considered very satisfactory.

3.2 Sources of errors

There are no significant errors in the National Register of Persons.

3.3 Measures on confidence limits/accuracy

Confidence limits are not calculated.

4. Comparison


4.1 Comparison between periods

Figures on deaths were gathered through parish reports before 1952, after which figures were gathered from the National Register of Persons.

In 1997, 31 December was taken up as the reference date when a copy is taken of the register and used to derive statistical registers for population figures. From 1960 until 1996 end of year figures were found using the National Register of Persons as it stood 1. December and adding birth reports and death certificates for December. From 1840 until 1959 end of year figures were derived from censuses and annual parish reports.

4.2 Comparison with other statistics


4.3 Coherence between preliminary and final statistics

No preliminary statistics are published for life expectancy.

5. Access to information


5.1 Forms of dissemination

  • News, released on Statistics Iceland's website
  • Statistics, categorised statistical web tables
  • Statistical Series, Hagtíðindi
  • Statistical Yearbook of Iceland, Landshagir
  • Population statistics until 1980, in the series Hagskýrslur Íslands
  • Hagskinna. Icelandic historical statistics

5.2 Basic data; storage and usability

Data is stored in digital format by the Population Department of Statistics Iceland. No access is provided to information regarding individuals. However, it is possible to have data especially processed.

5.3 Reports


5.4 Other information

Further information is available from the Population Department of Statistics Iceland.
© Hagstofa �slands, �ann 27-1-2009