Life expectancy in a western and immigrant receiving population (El Ejido, SE Spain)

Abstract

This study deals with the mortality pattern of El Ejido population, an agricultural Spanish community with a sub-tropical climate, located on the western Mediterranean coast (Andalusia). Based on the incorporation of modern agrarian techniques, this region has experienced a great economic development. Its demographic consequences were relevant, such as the arrival of immigrants throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The analysis of several demographic parameters shown in the abridged life table has revealed a small but non-random decrease of mortality during the last two decades of the past century. Furthermore, from the low value reached by the current entropy coefficient (H = 0.131), and the comparison of El Ejido life-expectancy at birth (e0) with Spain and Andalusia, we concluded that: a) The current mortality of El Ejido has approached a theoretical situation, where all deaths tend to take place at the age of 78.09 (its e0), and the death probability is very low at earlier ages. b) Some peculiar characteristics of its immigration as well as the high influence of the great public health system reached currently in Spain, reveal that El Ejido mortality does not depend on its remarkable immigration.