Actuarial Research Centre

Modelling, Measurement and Management of Longevity and Morbidity Risk

The Longevity Index for England - LIFE

What is the Longevity Index for England (the "LIFE index")?

• The purpose of the LIFE index is to quantify mortality inequality across England.
• The index estimates mortality rates at the neighbourhood level relative to English national mortality rates. Neighbourhoods (officially called “Lower Layer Super Output Areas” or LSOAs) have, on average, a population of about 1,600 people, mostly with a similar socio-economic background.
• The LIFE index tells you about the average mortality in each neighbourhood and is a reflection of average underlying risk factors such as smoking, diet and exercise. The index will also reflect access to healthcare and willingness to access what is available in a timely manner. Users should, therefore, keep in mind that each individual in a neighbourhood might have lower or higher mortality prospects.
• By way of example: an index value of 1 means average LSOA mortality is no different from national mortality; and an index value of 2 means LSOA mortality is double national mortality.
• The LIFE index is then used to calculate remaining life expectancies (based on mortality rates in 2019 with no future improvements in mortality). Higher LIFE index values (higher mortality) lead to lower life expectancies.

The LIFE App

The LIFE App can be accessed here:

• Version 3.2 (revision of Version 3 with updated (2024) parliamentary constituencies)

The App is also available as a stand-alone suite of R code for users who are familar with R Studio. Please email Andrew Cairns.

Additionally:

• LIFE App - version 3 R code
• LIFE App - Excel files with the index values

Webinar 23 June 2021

• Video (Youtube)
• PDF Slides.

LIFE: index values

Technical documentation

• Andrew J.G. Cairns, Jie Wen and Torsten Kleinow (2024)
  Drivers of Mortality: Risk Factors and Inequality
  Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A.
  • PDF (journal website; open access)
    
• Wen, J., Cairns, A.J.G., and Kleinow, T. (2023)
  Modelling Socio-Economic Mortality at Neighbourhood Level
  ASTIN Bulletin, 53: 285-310.
  • (Open access journal version)
    
  • (Postprint)
• Cairns, A.J.G., Wen, J, and Kleinow, T. (2023)
  Estimating neighbourhood death rates using the random forest algorithm. Longevity Bulletin, 15: 22-29.
  • Full issue (PDF)