Trends in life expectancy and life disparity in the older population in China by regions, 1981–2020

This paper examines the trends in life expectancy and life disparity among the older population in China and its sub-national regions based on China National Population Census data from 1981 to 2020, using the life disparity indicator developed by Zhang and Vaupel. It is shown that, first, the life expectancy of the older population in both China and its sub-national regions has experienced a significant upward trend; however, the growth is uneven across regions. Second, life disparities due to deaths among the elderly in China and its sub-national regions followed a downward trend, but life disparities due to deaths among the elderly as a ratio of total life disparities increased, indicating an increasing importance of deaths among the elderly in life disparities amid overall mortality improvements. Third, multiple linear regression models indicate that variations in life expectancy and life disparity among the older population across regions in China may stem from uneven development in the health transition process and resulting disparities. The eastern region of China has experienced a faster health transition compared to the western region, as evidenced by the greater impact of investments in medical facilities and economic development levels on increasing old-age life expectancy and reducing old-age life disparities in the eastern region. This paper reveals that the life expectancy and life disparity of China's older population has improved considerably over the past four decades, and its relatively lagging improvement compared to that of developed countries over the same period may be related to the relatively lagging health transition in the western region of the country.