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. *
Current Interim Life Tables
The current interim life tables for 2005-07 were published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These tables are based on the mid-year population estimates for 2005, 2006 and 2007 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 2004). The population estimates used to calculate these interim life tables are the estimates, or revised estimates, published on the following dates:
| Mid-year
population estimates |
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Northern
Ireland |
2005 |
22 August 2007 |
22 August 2007 |
27 July 2007 |
23 October 2006 |
2006 |
22 August 2007 |
22 August 2007 |
27 July 2007 |
31 July 2007 |
2007 |
21 August 2008 |
21 August 2008 |
24 July 2008 |
31 July 2008 |
The most up-to-date set of interim life tables currently available are shown below. They can also be accessed from National Statistics Online by clicking here. A news release covering the publication of the 2005-07 interim life tables and 2005-07 life expectancy at birth statistics for health and local authorities is also available from the National Statistics website.
| Interim Life Tables 2005-2007 |
| United Kingdom |
|
|
| Great Britain |
|
|
| England and Wales |
|
|
| England |
|
|
| Wales |
|
|
| Scotland |
|
|
| Northern Ireland |
|
|
(Microsoft
Excel documents 25kb each) |
| |
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Note that all the interim life tables for 2005-07 are based on births and deaths data by date of registration for all parts of the UK. Also note that a minor methodological change was introduced for the 2005-07 figures to ensure consistency with published population estimates of the very elderly.
For a brief explanation of the notation used in the life tables please click here.
For an explanation of the method of calculation please click here.
Historic interim life tables
The latest complete full set of interim life tables for 1980-82 to 2004-06 can be found by clicking here.
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 here.
*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.
