The 1991-2004 Evolution in Life Expectancy by Educational Level in Belgium Based on Linked Census and Population Register Data

The aim of this study is to determine trends in life expectancy by educational level in Belgium and to present elements of interpretation for the observed evolution. The analysis is based on census data providing information on educational level linked to register data on mortality for the periods 1991-1994 and 2001-2004. Using exhaustive individual linked data allows to avoid selection bias and numerator-denominator bias. The trends reveal a general increase in life expectancy together with a widening social gap. Summary indices of inequality based on life expectancies show, however, a more complex pattern and point to the importance to include the shifts in population composition by educational level in an overall assessment of the evolution of inequality by educational level.