Youth deaths pull Brazil's life expectancy away from that of developed countries

The death of young people by external causes—like car accidents and violence—is the main factor pulling down Brazil's life expectancy and keeps it away from that of developed countries.

The assessment was made by researcher Márcio Minamiguchi, member of a team at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which released Thursday (Dec. 1) the Full Table on Mortality in Brazil for 2015.

The survey shows that the life expectancy of a Brazilian born in 2015 is 75 years, which represents a 30-year increase from its 1940 counterpart.

The data also reveal, however, that the chances that a man dies aged 20 to 24 are 4.5 times as high as that of a woman in the same age group, compared to 1940's 1.2. Also according to the institute, the phenomenon is more common in countries that have undergone a quick urbanization process, with metropolises rising at a fast pace, like Brazil.

“Deaths by violence and traffic accidents are predominant among men,” he said. In his view, these factors widen a gap already noted for other reasons. “Men are more prone to becoming alcoholics, smokers, consuming larger amounts of calories, and speeding.”

The gap between Brazil and developed countries in life expectancy does not stem from these facts alone. Data like child mortality rate and the access to health care services by elders show that the difference can be observed in all age groups. “There's a whole process behind our path towards coming to a par with developed countries. But the gap has decreased considerably.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira