The interim life tables are produced annually for the United Kingdom and its constituent countries. Each life table is based on the population estimates and deaths data for a period of three consecutive years. They are known as interim life tables since graduated (smoothed) life tables for England & Wales combined and for Scotland are also prepared every ten years, based on data around a census year. On 31 January 2006, responsibility for the production of national life tables transferred to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Click here for contact details.
Current Interim Life Tables
The current interim life tables for 2006-08 were published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These tables are based on the mid-year population estimates for 2006, 2007 and 2008 and corresponding data on births, infant deaths and deaths by individual age from those years (the calculation of infant mortality also requires monthly births data for 2005).
The most up-to-date set of interim life tables are the 2006-08 life tables, they are available from the National Statistics website. A news release covering the publication of the 2006-08 interim life tables and 2006-08 life expectancy at birth statistics for health and local authorities is also available from the National Statistics website.
Historic interim life tables
A complete set of historic interim life tables for 1980-82 to 2005-07 can be found by clicking the link
For a brief explanation of the notation used in the life tables please click on the link.
For an explanation of the method of calculation please click on the link.
Expectations of life
The expectation of life figures shown in the interim life tables are period life expectancies. These give, for a given age and area, the average number of years a person would live, if he or she experienced the particular area’s age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. It makes no allowance for any later actual or projected changes in mortality. In practice, death rates of the area are likely to change in the future so period life expectancy does not therefore give the number of years someone could actually expect to live. Also, people may live in other areas for at least some part of their lives.
Cohort life expectancies are calculated using age-specific mortality rates which allow for known or projected changes in mortality in later years and are thus regarded as a more appropriate measure of how long a person of a given age would be expected to live, on average, than period life expectancy.
For further information on the difference between period and cohort life expectancy and access to additional period and cohort life expectancy data tables, please click on the link.