Abstract
BackgroundThe increase in life expectancy and the persistence of expectancy gaps between different social groups in the 20th century are well-described in Western developed countries, but less well documented in the newly industrialised countries of Asia. Singapore, a multiethnic island-state, has undergone a demographic and epidemiologic transition concomitant with economic development. We evaluate secular trends and differences in life expectancy by ethnicity and gender in Singapore, from independence to the present.MethodsPeriod abridged life tables were constructed to derive the life expectancy of the Singapore population from 1965 to 2009 using data from the Department of Statistics and the Registry of Births and Deaths, Singapore.ResultsAll 3 of Singapore’s main ethnic groups, and both genders, experienced an increase in life expectancy at birth and at 65 years from 1965 to 2009, though at substantially different rates. Although there has been a convergence in life expectancy between Indians and Chinese, the (substantial) gap between Malays and the other two ethnic groups has remained. Females continued to have a higher life expectancy at birth and at 65 years than males throughout this period, with no evidence of convergence.ConclusionsEthnic and gender differences in life expectancy persist in Singapore despite its rapid economic development. Targeted chronic disease prevention measures and health promotion activities focusing on people of Malay ethnicity and the male community may be needed to remedy this inequality.
Highlights
The increase in life expectancy and the persistence of expectancy gaps between different social groups in the 20th century are well-described in Western developed countries, but less well documented in the newly industrialised countries of Asia
We examine the secular trends in life expectancy among gender and ethnicity groups in Singapore from 1965 to the present, a time period over which gross domestic product per capita (2010 US$) rose from ~ US$500 to ~ US$41,000 [17]
The predominant group of causes of mortality in 1940 and 1950 was communicable diseases (Group I), which accounted for 57% of all deaths in 1940
Summary
The increase in life expectancy and the persistence of expectancy gaps between different social groups in the 20th century are well-described in Western developed countries, but less well documented in the newly industrialised countries of Asia. In the United States, for example, blacks in general have lower life expectancy at birth than whites, while Hispanics appear to have higher rate than either [11,12]. Disparities in life expectancy among ethnic groups and between genders within a country often imply the presence of health inequalities. Studies have found important determinants to explain this variation, such as differences in the prevalence of chronic disease risk factors, preventive health behaviour, access to and utilisation of healthcare service, as well as socio-economic status [13,14]
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