Understanding the rapid increase in life expectancy in South Korea

Abstract

Objectives: We assessed life expectancy increases in the past several decades in South Korea by age and specific causes of death.

Methods: We applied Arriaga's decomposition method to life table data (1970-2005) and mortality statistics (1983-2005) to estimate age- and cause-specific contributions to changes in life expectancy.

Results: Reductions in infant mortality made the largest age-group contribution to the life expectancy increase. Reductions in cardiovascular diseases (particularly stroke and hypertensive diseases) contributed most to longer life expectancy between 1983 and 2005 (30% in males and 28% in females). Lower rates of stomach cancer, liver disease, tuberculosis, and external-cause mortality accounted for 30% of the male and 20% of the female increase in longevity. However, higher mortality from ischemic heart disease, lung and bronchial cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, and suicide offset gains by 10% in both genders.

Conclusions: Rapid increases in life expectancy in South Korea were mostly achieved by reductions in infant mortality and in diseases related to infections and blood pressure.

FIGURE 1

Life expectancy at birth among men and women in South Korea compared with Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) averages: South Korea, 1970–2005.

FIGURE 2

Disease group–specific contributions to life expectancy increase among men and women: South Korea, 1983–2005. Note. All disease-group codes are from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Each bar indicates the net contribution of mortality changes in each cause group to the total increase of life expectancy between 1983 and 2005, in years.

FIGURE 3

Age group–specific contributions to life expectancy increase among men and women: South Korea, 1970–2005.

FIGURE 4

Age group–specific and disease group–specific contributions to life expectancy change caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD) among (a) men and (b) women: South Korea, 1983–2005. Note. All disease-group codes are from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10).

FIGURE 5

Age group–specific and disease group–specific contributions to life expectancy change caused by cancer among (a) men and (b) women: South Korea, 1983–2005. Note. All disease-group codes are from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10).