Recent mortality trends in Greece

This work examines the mortality characteristics of the population of Greece for the years 1961-2014. The time period considered is of special interest for the modern demographic history of the country, since it is characterized by enormous developments on economic, political, and social grounds. The life tables of the male and female population of Greece were constructed, and several mortality indicators like life expectancy at chosen ages were calculated. For the purpose of analysis, a statistical technique for smoothing the age-specific death rates in order to estimate the theoretical age-specific probabilities of dying was developed. This technique consists of a combination of the nine-parameter version of Heligman-Pollard formula proposed by Kostaki and three cubic splines. The results of our calculations are indicative of the mortality transition observed in the country in the last 55years. There is also conclusive evidence for the appearance of the first effects of the economic crisis on mortality levels.