sterftetabellen

Sterftetabellen, or mortality table, is a statistical table that summarizes mortality experience for a population. It presents, for each age or age interval, the number of people alive at the start, the probability of dying within the interval, and the expected remaining life. In actuarial terms, common elements include the number alive at the start of an age x interval, the probability of dying during that interval, and the average remaining years of life for people aged x. Mortality tables are derived from vital statistics, census data, and longitudinal studies, and they may be stratified by sex, region, or calendar year.

There are two main types: period life tables, which reflect mortality rates observed in a specific time period, and cohort (generation) life tables, which follow a birth group over time and reflect changing mortality patterns. Modern tables may also incorporate additional factors such as smoking status, socioeconomic variables, or geographic variations.

Sterftetabellen are used in insurance and pension calculations to price life contingencies, estimate liabilities, and determine premiums and annuity rates. They support public health and demographic planning by enabling life expectancy estimates, mortality forecasts, and burden assessments. Researchers use them to compare mortality conditions across populations and over time, and to model population age structures and resource needs.

Limitations include reliance on data quality and completeness, revisions as new information becomes available, and the assumption that observed mortality rates apply to the future in the chosen time frame. Differences in data collection, coding, and population structure can affect comparability between countries and periods. The concept dates back to the development of life tables in the 17th and 18th centuries and remains a central tool in actuarial science and demography.