Ageing, life expectancy at older ages and life potential (the case of Russia and Ukraine)

Gaiane Safarova, Russian Academy of Sciences
Sergei Pirozhkov, The National Institute of International Security Problems
Alexander Lisenenkov, Russian Academy of Sciences

Life expectancy increase is one of driving forces of population ageing. In its turn, progressing population ageing attracted researchers’ attention to the concept of age. Thus, the concept of prospective age appeared. It was pointed out that conventional ageing measures based on chronological age should be supplemented by measures that take account of remaining years of life. One of such measures is population average remaining years of life (PARYL); it is calculated by weighting the remaining life expectancy of all ages with the proportion of people at those ages in the considered population. In fact PARYL is a kind of life potential of a population – it may be interpreted as an average individual life potential. Such interpretation of this indicator makes it very useful in studying a wide range of population issues, e.g. ones connected with labor market. It presents interest to consider this potential for major age groups (children, working age population, elderly). The paper aims to make a comparative analysis of PARYL dynamics for Russia and Ukraine within European context. It is supposed to compute and compare PARYL for Russia, Ukraine and selected European countries representing different regions f Europe. Gender differences in PARYL for Russia and Ukraine will be considered. As PARYL depends on life expectancies in all ages and population age structure, contribution of these factors to PARYL changes for Russia and Ukraine and to difference of PARYLs for considered countries will be examined. Computations are based on vital statistics given by national statistical bodies and data from Human Mortality Database (University of California, Berkeley, USA, and Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Germany). Results of the study may contribute to better understanding of regularities of ageing development in Russia, Ukraine and Europe as a whole.