Weighting Sub-Populations in Longevity Inequality Research: A Practical Approach

Abstract

The weights allowing calculation of life expectancy for a whole population as a weighted average of group-specific life expectancies are proposed. They are characterized by a minimum distance from the actual population shares that are different from those assumed in life tables. It is demonstrated how they may be obtained by means of constrained regression, using popular statistical/econometric software. The problem of negative solutions is also addressed. The empirical examples include longevity inequality calculations under various weighting systems. The data come from the Human Mortality Database and from Russia's regional statistics.