Poverty and Differences in Mortality among the Elderly
Lefèbvre, Mathieu
Poverty and Differences in Mortality among the Elderly - 2011.
61
This paper illustrates in the case of Belgium’s regions a specific problem faced by anti-poverty measures. Since mortality is related to income levels, poor persons tend to die on average at a younger age than non-poor persons. Poverty measures for the elderly depend not only on what can be called “true poverty” but also on the selection induced by differential mortality due to income inequality. By computing the hypothetical poverty rates that would prevail if all persons at all income levels had the same life expectancy, we estimate new poverty measures that by their very construction neutralize the interference or noise caused by income-based differential mortality. Such an adjustment of poverty measures is particularly relevant in the case of Belgium, where mortality gaps between Flemish and Walloons as well as between rich and poor are substantial.
Poverty and Differences in Mortality among the Elderly - 2011.
61
This paper illustrates in the case of Belgium’s regions a specific problem faced by anti-poverty measures. Since mortality is related to income levels, poor persons tend to die on average at a younger age than non-poor persons. Poverty measures for the elderly depend not only on what can be called “true poverty” but also on the selection induced by differential mortality due to income inequality. By computing the hypothetical poverty rates that would prevail if all persons at all income levels had the same life expectancy, we estimate new poverty measures that by their very construction neutralize the interference or noise caused by income-based differential mortality. Such an adjustment of poverty measures is particularly relevant in the case of Belgium, where mortality gaps between Flemish and Walloons as well as between rich and poor are substantial.
Réseaux sociaux