Deaths, 2008

Following a number of years with a strong increase in life expectancy, the increase paused in 2007. Last year it was too early to tell whether this break might have been a coincidence or a new trend. It now seems that this was just an occasional break and that the increase in life expectancy continues. From 2007 to 2008 life expectancy at birth increased with 0.3 years for women, and with 0.1 years for men.

Japan still on top

Norway is among the 8 to 10 countries in the world with the highest life expectancy at birth. But Japan, having the world’s highest life expectancy, is still somewhat ahead of Norway. In this country girls born in 2007 could expect to live for 86.0 years and boys could expect to live for 79.2 years.

Decreasing gender gap

The gender gap in life expectancy in 2008 was 4.6 years in favor of women. For more than a hundred years the gender gap was between 2.5 and 3.5 years, but it increased from the middle of the 1950s towards 1980. In the first half of the 1980s it stabilized around 6.8 years. The gender gap has since then decreased gradually to the level of today.

Still low number of deaths

In 2008 41 700 died: 21 400 women and 20 300 men. This is a decrease of 200 deaths compared to 2007. 300 fewer women died, whereas 100 more men died. The last five years the number of deaths has remained between 41 000 and 42 000. We must go back to the 1970s to find a lower number of deaths. More women than men have died since the end of the 1990s because of an increasing majority of women compared to men in the age groups where most people die.

Lowest infant mortality ever recorded

Infant mortality for both sexes was 2.7 in 2008 - the lowest figure ever recorded in Norway. 163 children below one year of age died in 2008 - 101 boys and 62 girls. Infant mortality was 3.3 per 1000 live births for boys and for 2.1 for girls. There might however be some coincidences from one year to another.

Among the Nordic countries in 2007 infant mortality for both sexes was lower in Iceland (2.0), Sweden (2.5) and Finland (2.7) than in Norway. On the other hand, the infant mortality in Denmark (4.0) was higher than in Norway.

Tables:

• Table 1 Deaths and death rates 1961-2008
• Table 2 Age-specific death rates for males and females. 1971-2008
• Table 3 Life expectancy - remaining years for males and females at selected ages. 1866-2008
• Table 4 Perinatal and infant mortality. 1956-2008 .
• Table 5 Life tables, 2008
• Table 6 Life expectancy - remaining years for males and females at selected ages, by county. 1971-2005