Mortality by Socioeconomic Category in the United States

Author

Magali Barbieri, Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley

Description

Dr. Magali Barbieri’s body of work for the SOA provides a comprehensive look at how mortality patterns in the United States differ across socioeconomic groups and how those patterns have evolved over the past four decades. Her research examines long-term mortality trends, the specific causes driving widening disparities, the impact of Covid-19 on those gaps, and updated life table comparisons using both classic and modern demographic methods. Together, these projects offer an in-depth, data-driven understanding of inequality in U.S. mortality and its implications for actuarial practice.

Materials

Mortality by Socioeconomic Category in the United States - Extending the Analysis to 2023
The project analyzes U.S. mortality from 1982 to 2023 by socioeconomic level, showing that death-rate gaps between richer and poorer communities have grown, especially during the pandemic.

Comparison of Lifetable Series by SIS Deciles
November 2024
Dr. Magali Barbieri's study compares SIS decile lifetable values for 1982-2022 using current Human Mortality Database protocols and classic techniques.

The Impact of Covid-19 on the Socioeconomic Differential in Mortality in the United States
February 2024
This project analyzes how Covid-19 affected mortality differences across socioeconomic groups in the U.S. and what those shifts mean for actuarial work in insurance and reinsurance.

Cause-of-Death Contributions to Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality in the United States
June 2022
This project examines which causes of death are driving the widening mortality gap between the most and least affluent U.S. counties

Mortality By Socioeconomic Category
November 2020
The report analyzes U.S. mortality from 1982 to 2019 across socioeconomic groups, providing rate estimates and life tables by quintile and decile.

Questions or Comments

If you have comments or questions, please email research@soa.org.