Age Overstatement and Puerto Rican Longevity

Document Type

Article

Authors

Ira Rosenwaike, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Samuel H. Preston, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Recent official statistics show that life expectancy among both inales and females in Puerto Rico exceeds that for males and females in the United States. Furthermore, the population of Puerto Rico appears to be one of the most longevous in the world, with levels of survival after age 45 exceeding that in all but a few countries. The validity of these longevity estimates is examined using various demographic techniques to investigate the accuracy of census and vital statistics data. The findings provide strong evidence of widespread overstatement of age at the older ages. Such overstatement produces mortality rates that are too low and thus overstate the expectation of life; as a result current life tables need to be modified.

Recommended Citation

Rosenwaike, Ira and Preston, Samuel H. (1984) "Age Overstatement and Puerto Rican Longevity," Human Biology: Vol. 56: Iss. 3, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol56/iss3/10