Interpreting the “league tables of death”: advance Australia backwards?

Bauman, Adrian E

doi:10.5694/mja2.50156

Topics

Statistics, epidemiology and research design

Differences in life expectancy within countries are as important as international comparisons

In this issue of the MJA, Lopez and Adair describe slowing of the growth in life expectancy in Australia.1 They report that we reached our peak position in the world around 2003 (fourth highest for men, fifth highest for women), but increases in life expectancy over the past decade have been modest, and our international ranking is expected to fall.

University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW

Correspondence: adrian.bauman@sydney.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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