The Northeast Region, which, in 1980, had the lowest life expectancy in Brazil (58.25 years), had, in 30 years, increment of 12.95 years in this indicator. In 2010, life expectancy in the Northeast reached 71.20 years, being slightly above that of the North, a Region which previously held a better position over the former (60.75 versus 70.76 years). This reversal resulted mainly from the increment of 14.14 years to the life expectancy of northeastern women, from 61.27 to 75.41 years, which surpassed the increase in the North Region, of 10.62 years, accounting for a change from 63.74 to 74.36 years.

This is one of the facts highlighted in "Life Tables by Sex and Age - Brazil, Major regions and Federation Units - 2010", released today by IBGE. The publication presents comparisons with 1980 table indicators, providing an overall view of the changes in mortality levels and patterns in the last 30 years.

In 2010, among the Federation Units, the lowest life expectancy at birth for both sexes was recorded in Maranhão, 68.69 years. In 1980, Alagoas was the state holding this position, with 55.69 years, but it reached 69.20 years in 2010. This change occurred mainly due to the increase of 15.13 years in the life expectancy of women in Alagoas, with a change from 58.84 to 73.97 years, whereas Maranhão faced the opposite: this state now has the lowest life expectancy of women in the country, 72.77 years. Nevertheless, Alagoas kept, in 2010, the lowest male life expectancy (64.60 years), as it did previously (with 52.73 years in 1980).

The women from Alagoas live 9.37 years more than men, as a consequence of the higher excess mortality of men aged 20 to 24 (7.4 times).

Among the Major Regions, the Northeast recorded the highest infant mortality rate, in spite of also having recorded the biggest decrease of this rate between 1980 (97.1 deaths for each 1,000 live births) and 2010 (23.0‰). The South Region, which held the lowest rate in 1980 (46.0‰) kept its position in 2010, with 10.1‰.

Among the Federation Units, in 2010, Santa Catarina registered the lowest infant mortality rate was (9.2‰), and Alagoas, the highest (30.2‰). The biggest decrease in the period occurred in Paraíba, with a change from 117.1‰ to 22.9‰. 

Santa Catarina also registered the lowest infant mortality rate (probability of a newly born not reaching the age of five), 11.2 deaths of children under five years of age for one thousand live births. Alagoas recorded the biggest rate, 33.2‰.  

The Life Tables use data of the 2010 Population Census, statistics taken from the Civil Registry and of the Information System on Mortality from the Ministry of Health for year 2010. The complete publication is available at

https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/populacao/tabuas_abreviadas_mortalidade/2010/default.shtm.

Northeast had the biggest regional increment in life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy at birth, which was 62.52 years in 1980, increased to 73.76 years in 2010. The change by 11.24 years represented average annual increase of four months and 15 days. There was significant decrease in the regional difference throughout the last 30 years. The Northeast, which had increment of 12.95 in the period, reached 71.20 years and slightly surpased the North Region, which was previously ahead ahead of it (from 60.75 to 70.76 years).  This reversal occurred mainly due to the 14.14 year increment in the life expectancy of women in the Northeast Region, with a change from 61.27 years to 75.41, whereas among women in the North Region, there was increase by 10.62 years, that is, from 63.74 to 74.36 years.  The life expectancy of men in the Northeast (from 55.0 to 67.15 years) also increased above that of the North (from 58.18 to 67.57 years), with less relevance than that of women (9.39 versus 11.75 years).  

The South Region remained in the first position in terms of regional life expectancy at birth, having changed from 66.01 years in 1980 to 75.84 years in 2010, with increment of 9.83 years (the lowest by region in the period).   In the Southeast, life expectancy at birth changed from 64.82 to 75.40 years, and, in the Central West, from 62.85 to 73.64 years.  

Life expectancy of women in Alagoas places the state ahead of Maranhão in 2010

Among the Federation Units, the lowest life expectancy at birth for both sexes in 2010 was recorded in Maranhão: 68.69 years.  In 1980, Alagoas held this position, with 55.69 years, but it reached 69.20 years in 2010. This change occurred mainly due to the increase of 15.13 years in the life expectancy of women in Alagoas, which changed from 58.84 to 73.97 years, whereas Maranhão had the lowest life expectancy in the country.  Nevertheless, Alagoas kept in 2010 the lowest male life expectancy at birth (64.60 years), a figure it had already reached in 1980 (52.73 years).

The biggest increase in life expectancy in this 30-year period was recorded in Rio Grande do Norte, 15.8 years for both sexes, 14.65 for men and 17.03 for women.  

The highest life expectancy for both sexes in 1980 was that of Rio Grande do Sul (67.83 years) and in 2010 it was found in Santa Catarina (76.80 years), a state which also recorded the highest life expectancy figures among men (73.73 years) and women (79.90 years) in 2010.  

In Alagoas, men aged 20 have 7.4 more chances of not reaching 25 years of age than women

The difference between the figure for life expectancy at birth of men and women was 7.17 years in 2010. In 1980, this difference was 6.07 years.  Excess mortality among men was present in all the age groups in year 2010, with a peak in the group aged 20 to 24:  the probability of a man not reaching the age of 25 was 4.4 times higher that among the female population.

In 2010, the biggest between the life expectancy at birth of men and women occurred in Alagoas.  The women in this state lived, on the average, 9.37 years more than men, as a consequence of this state's having the highest excess mortality in the age group 20-24, that is 7.4 times that of women the same age.  In 1980, this difference was 1.7 times, one of the lowest in the country.  In the same year, the excess mortality of men in this age group had been recorded in Rio de Janeiro (3.0 times).  

Infant mortality fell from 69.1‰ in 1980, to 16.7‰ in 2010

In 1980, there were, in Brazil, 69.1 deaths of children under one year of age for each one thousand born alive; the figure would decrease to 16.7 deaths 40 years later.  In this period, the avoided deaths of infants below one year of age were 52 for each one thousand born alive, which meant a decline of infant mortality levels by 75.8%.

Among the factors which contributed to this change are: the increase of female schooling, the higher percentage of housing units (with proper basic sanitation, potable water and garbage collection, the decrease of malnutrition of children and youngsters and a bigger access of the population to health services, leading to the improvement of services provided in the prenatal period and in the early life of children born alive).  Other actions are directly aimed at the reduction of infant mortality:  major vaccination campaigns, pre natal services, incentive to breastfeeding, among others.

Northeast has biggest decrease in infant mortality, from 97.1‰ to 23.0‰

Among the Major Regions, the Northeast maintained the highest infant mortality rate, in spite of also having recorded its major decrease between 1980 (97.1‰) and 2010 (23.0 ‰) The South Region, which had the lowest rate in 1980 (46.0%) remained in the same position in 2010, with 10.1‰.  Among the states, here were major changes.  In 2010, the lowest infant mortality rate was that of Santa Catarina (9.2%) and the biggest, in Alagoas (30.2‰).  The main decrease of this rate in the period took place in Paraíba, with a fall from 117.1% to 22.9%.

Santa Catarina has lowest child mortality: 11.2%

Child mortality (of children up to five years of age) had a similar performance to that of infant mortality  In 2010, the child mortality rate was 19.4%, with decrease of 64.6% over that of 1980, when it was 84.0%.

The lowest child mortality rate was observed in Santa Catarina: 11.2 deaths of children under five years of age for each one thousand born alive, whereas the biggest increase was recorded in Alagoas: 33.2%.  Between 1980 and 2010, the biggest decrease was observed in Paraíba, with the avoidance of deaths of 128.7 children under five years of age for each one thousand born alive. That represented a change from 155.0% to 26.3% in a period of 30 years.