MEASURING EARLY LIFE DISPARITY IN INDIA

Abstract

Early life disparity - defined as the average life years lost due to death by the age of 60 years - can be used to assess more systematically the effect of savings from death at a young age. In addition, it can give valuable insight into the consequences of death in the early stages of life. Early life disparity can further be categorized into child life disparity (0-14 years) and adult life disparity (15-60 years). This study estimated early life disparity using complete life tables for the period 1970-1975 to 2006-2010, which were constructed from abridged life tables and death rates provided by the Sample Registration System (SRS) in India. The contribution of premature deaths to the difference in life disparity was estimated using a replacement algorithm. The findings clearly indicated an overall declining trend in early life disparity in India, with a notable reduction in child life disparity, and a deceleration of adult life disparity during the period 1970-1975 to 2006-2010. Interstate variations in early life disparity were seen to converge with time. Decomposition analysis suggested that these variations could be minimized further by averting death during childhood.