Getting life expectancy estimates right for pension policy: period versus cohort approach

In many policy areas it is essential to use the best estimates of life expectancy, but it is vital to most areas of pension policy. This paper presents the conceptual differences between static period and dynamic cohort mortality tables, estimates the differences in life expectancy for Portugal and...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ayuso, Mercedes, Bravo, Jorge Miguel, Holzmann, Robert
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/175751
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/175751
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Esperança de vida
Pensions a la vellesa
Risc (Economia)
Estadística demogràfica
Mètode comparatiu
Life expectancy
Old age pensions
Risk
Vital statistics
Comparative method
Description
Summary:In many policy areas it is essential to use the best estimates of life expectancy, but it is vital to most areas of pension policy. This paper presents the conceptual differences between static period and dynamic cohort mortality tables, estimates the differences in life expectancy for Portugal and Spain, and compares official estimates of both life expectancy estimates for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States for 1981, 2010, and 2060. These comparisons reveal major differences between period and cohort life expectancy in and between countries and across years. The implications of using wrong estimates for pension policy, including financial sustainability, are explored