Trends in inequality in length of life in India: a decomposition analysis by age and causes of death

BACKGROUND Studies dealing with trends in inequality in length of life in India are rare. Studies documenting the contribution of age and causes of death to the inequality in length of life are more limited. OBJECTIVE The study aims to examine the trends in inequality in length of life in India and 15 major states of India and to decompose the inequality in length of life into the contributions of age and causes of death. METHOD We use life table Gini coefficient (G0) to measure the inequality in length of life. We use the formulae developed by Shkolnikov, Andreev, and Begun (DR 8(11):305-358, 2003) to decompose the differences between Gini coefficients by age and cause of death. RESULT The G0 for men has declined from 0.32 in 1981 to 0.19 in 2011. For women, G0 has decreased from 0.31 in 1981 to 0.22 in 2011. Mortality decline in the age group 0-1 year has contributed most to the decrease in G0. In contrast, mortality decline in 60+ has tended to increase the G0. The state-wide variations in the age-specific contributions to decrease in G0 were stark. The contribution of noncommunicable diseases to the male-female gap in G0 has increased between 1990 and 2010. Injuries at ages from 20 to 39 years also contributed to the male-female difference in G0 in 2010. CONCLUSION Future studies must analyze inequality in life expectancy for assessing the performance of societies regarding length of life. CONTRIBUTION This is the first study that provides compelling evidence on inequality in length of life in India and its major states.