The indicator was above the figure calculated in 2003 (71.3 years). Since 1980, the country has witnessed infant mortality rate fall by over 60%, to a total 26.6 deaths per 1,000 children up to one year of age.

The indicator was above the figure calculated in 2003 (71.3 years). Since 1980, the country has witnessed infant mortality rate fall by over 60% to a total 26.6 deaths per 1,000 children up to one year of age. These are some of the demographic data contained in Life Tables 2004, by IBGE. In 2004, women’s life expectancy was superior to men’s, and young men had six times more chances of dying than young women, especially of non-natural causes.

In the United nations ranking, Brazil is the 82^nd in terms of life expectancy at birth and the 99^th in terms of infant mortality rate. The country has almost achieved its goals for the millenium, but would still save a million live if the mortality levels of Chile were achieved. The demographic analysis by IBGE shows that Brazil is going through a process of "demographic window", a moment for economic development.

In 2004, life expectancy at birth [1] in Brazil was 71.7 years (71 years, 8 months and 12 days). In relation to 2003, there was increase of 0.4 year (4 months and 24 days). Between 1980 and 2004, Brazilians’ life expectancy had an increase of 9.1 years, changing from 62.6 years to the current figure, 71.7. Thus, over 24 years, life expectancy at birth in Brazil has had an annual increment of about 5 months.

In the ranking of Federative Units with the highest life expectancy rates, in 2004, the Federal District (74.6 years) was in the first position; Alagoas (65.5 years) was in the last one. Consequently, in 2004, a Brazilian born and dwelling in the Federal Capital lived, on average, 9 years more than someone born in Alagoas. This difference has decreased along the years. In 1980, the difference between the number one in the ranking (Rio Grande do Sul, with 67.8 years) and the state with the lowest life expectancy rate (Alagoas, with 55.7 years), was 12.1 years.

Ministry of Social Security uses the Table to calculate social fund factor

Since 1999, IBGE has released, annually, the complete mortality rates for the Brazilian population, according to what is established by Article 2 of the Presidential Decree no. 3266 from 11/29/1999. The data in the Life Table are used by the Ministry of Social Security in the calculation of the retirement fund factor of people receiving benefits. 

In 24 years, mortality rate has decreased by over 60%

In Brazil, between 1980 and 2004, infant mortality rate [2] fell by 61.5%, changing from 69,1‰ (69.1 deaths for every 1,000 babies born), to 26.6% (Table 5). In 2004, Rio Grande do Sul (14.7‰) and São Paulo (17‰) had the lowest infant mortality rates. Alagoas (55,7‰) and Maranhão (43.6‰), not only presented the highest rates but also had the slightest falls in this indicator (about 50%). Roraima and Ceará, respectively the 6^th and the 19^th in the ranking of infant mortality in the country, had, together with São Paulo, the most significant decreases in the indicator (70%).

In 2004, 43% of the almost 3.5 million children born in Brazil, had life expectancy at birth below the national average (71.7 years). These births were concentrated in the North and Northeast regions, which housed 36% of the population of Brazil (181,6 million inhabitants, that year).

About 57% of the 99 thousand deaths of children under 1 year of age estimated for 2004 [3] occurred in Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins and in the states located in the Northeast, which had a mortality rate above the national average.

Brazil is the 82^nd in the ranking of life expectancy at birth

In 2004, with a life expectancy rate of 81.9 years, Japan led the 192 countries which formed the United Nations ranking. Brazil was in the 82^nd position – seven positions above that in 2000, when it was in 89^th place, with a life expectancy rate at birth of 70.5 years.

In the Latin-American and Caribbean context, Brazil is in an uncomfortable position (Chart 1): Costa Rica (1^st), Chile (2^nd), Puerto Rico, Uruguay, French Guyana, Barbados, Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Santa Lucia, Colombia and Belize form the group of countries or areas in Latin America and Caribbean with life expectancy at birth above the Brazilian rates. The Latin-American and Caribbean countries with life expectancy rates below that estimated for Brazil are: Paraguay, El Salvador, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Bahamas, Nicaragua, Suriname, Honduras, Dominican Republic Guatemala, Bolivia, Guyana and Haiti.

Whereas life expectancy at birth in Chile is superior by almost 7 years to the rate in Latin- America (71.0 years), in Brazil it is only 0.7. In 2004, over 5 billion inhabitants or almost 78% of the world population estimated for 2005 were in countries or areas with life expectancy rate at birth similar or below the rate in Brazil.

Brazil is the 99^th in terms of infant mortality

The infant mortality rate in Brazil, 26.6%, places the country in the 99^th position in the United Nations ranking, led by Iceland, with 3.2%. In 2000, with an infant mortality rate of 30.1%, Brazil was in the 100^th position. The group of countries with rates below that in Brazil concentrated, in 2005, 27% of the world population (about 1,8 billion people).

Among Latin-American and Caribbean countries, Brazil is preceded by Cuba, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Chile, Porto Rico, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, French Guyana, Jamaica, Santa Lucia, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Suriname and El Salvador in the ranking. In the same group of countries, mortality rates above that of Brazil were registered in: Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras, Peru, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Guatemala, Guyana, Bolivia and Haiti.

Women live longer than men

In 1980, in Brazil, men lived, on average, 6.1 years less than women, whereas, in 2004, this difference increased to 7.6 years. The state of Rio de Janeiro presented the most significant differences between mortality rates of men and women, both in 1980 (7.8 years) and in 2004 (9 years).

In 2004, Ceará presented the highest difference rate (8.8 years) by sex in terms of life expectancy at birth, followed by São Paulo (8.6 years). These results are related to the phenomenon of male undermortality – especially among youngsters – mostly related to external causes.

In 2004, a Brazilian who turning 20 years of age would still live 54.6 years, on average, having a total 74.6 years of life expectancy. An individual 50 years of age in 2004 would possibly live up to 78.3 years, and those 60 years old would live beyond 80 years of age. The differences by sex change according to the age groups: women turning 20 years-old in 2004 would live, on average, seven years more than men, whereas for the ones turning 60 years old, the figure was only 3.1 years.

Young men have six times more chances of dying than young women

In Brazil, in 24 years, male undermortality increased considerably, especially in the group between 15 and 34 years of age (Table 6): in 2004, mortality rate for male youngsters between 20 and 24 years of age was four times over that of female youngsters. In 1980, this ratio was 2 to 1. Deaths caused by external causes, such as traffic accidents and homicides, account for the most of the differences between the mortality rates of men and women in these age groups.

In São Paulo, a male youngster between 20 and 24 years of age had six times more chances of dying than a woman in the same age group.

Estimates show that the life expectancy of Brazilian people could be up to 3.8 years higher if the mortality rate, for the age group between 15 and 39 years of age, were 80% lower.

Between 1980 and 2004, the mortality rate in Brazil fell by over 60%, whereas for the age group between 15 and 39 years of age, the reduction did not reach 30%.

The country gets near its goals for the millenium

Brazil may reduce its infant mortality rate to 18.2% up to 2015 and life expectancy at birth may reach 74.8 years. The chances of a newly-born dying before his 5th birthday may decline by 32.9%, reaching 21.6% in 2015. These indicators do no meet the requirements of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in New York, between September 6 and 8, 2000.  

Among the eight general objectives of the agreement signed by the Declaration, number 4 refers to the reduction, by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, of the mortality rate of children under 5 years of age.

Brazil must, with some additional effort, reach the expected goals. The mortality rate in the country, in 1990, was 46.9‰; a reduction by two-thirds means reaching 15,6‰ in 2005. The mortality rate of children under 5 years of age was 59,6‰ in the beginning of the 1990’s, being expected to follow a downward trend in the next ten years until it reaches 19,9‰.

The country would save a million lives having the same mortality rate as Chile

For the period 2000-2005, Chile has had a mortality rate 3.3 times lower than that Brazil in 2004. The profile of Brazilian mortality rate will probably not allow the country to be in a better position in the regional context, unless investments in the social field are enough to, at least, diminish internal inequality. According to the current prospects, only in 2040, would Brazil reach this level of 8‰. Concerning life expectancy at birth, the level of 77.8 years would only be reached in 2028.

If, along the period 2000-2004, a group of actions to reduce drastically mortality rate in Brazil to the levels of Chilean rates, over one million lives would be spared, 60.2% of which, of men. The same way, 204 thousand children would not die before age 1. As for persons between 15 and 39 years of age, a total of 255 thousand, divided into 75.8% of men and 24.2% of women, would not die while in this age group.

There would be invaluable gains, comparatively to the investments needed to put these changes into effect. The main gain would be, certainly, the number of lives spared.

Demographic window: Brazil is going through a historical moment

Brazil is currently going through a phenomenon called demographic window: it has a big number if persons at active age and a relatively low ratio of dependence, showing a demographic potential favorable to economic growth [4]. The maximum number of youngsters at the age to finish their education and enter the job market (15 to 24 years of age), has been around 35 million since 2000. This figure will only be seen again in the period 2030-2035.

At the same time, the ratio of dependence of the population has declined due to the decrease of the group of children between 0 and 14 years of age over the population between 15 and 64 years of age. Europe probably entered the process of demographic window before 1950, and is expected to finish this cycle in 2015, when countries in Eastern Europe will have completed the process.

Brazil has been, since 2000 and will be, up to 2035, able to enjoy the best way possible this opportunity given by Demography.

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[1] It expresses the number of years a newly-born is expected to live, being, along his life, exposed to the mortality rates estimated for the population at the moment of their birth.

[2] It expresses the number of deaths of babies under 1 year of age per every 100 babies born. It’s the probability of a newly-born dying before age 1.

[3] Prospects for population in Brazil by sex and by age for the period 1980-2050 – Review 2004 and Systematization of prospective indicators of fertility, mortality and migration for the elaboration of Population Prospects for Brazilian States by Sex and Age for the Period 1991-2030. Activity in progress in the Department of Population and Social Indicators, within the project UNFPA/BRASIL (BRA/02/P02) - Population and Development, expected to be finished in the first semester of 2006.

[4] BLOOM, David E.; CANNING, David and SEVILLA, Jaypee. The Demographic Dividend: A new Perspective on the Economic Consequences of Population Change. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, (2003).