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 2004-06 were published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). These tables are based on the mid-year population estimates for 2004, 2005 and 2006 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 2003). 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
2004	22 August 2007	22 August 2007	27 July 2007	29 July 2005
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

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 2004-06 interim life tables and 2004-06 life expectancy at birth statistics for health and local authorities is also available from the National Statistics website.

 

Interim Life Tables 2004-2006
United Kingdom	Males	Females
Great Britain	Males	Females
England and Wales	Males	Females
England	Males	Females
Wales	Males	Females
Scotland	Males	Females
Northern Ireland	Males	Females
(Microsoft Excel documents 25kb each)
You will need Microsoft Excel in order to view the documents above. If you do not have this, please click here to go to the Microsoft Download Center from where you can download a copy of the Microsoft Excel Viewer, which can be used to do so.

Note that all the interim life tables for 2004-06 are based on deaths data by date of registration.

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 2003-05 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.