Evolution of sex differentials in mortality among Israeli Jews

Laura Staetsky, University of Southampton

This study explores patterns of sex differentials in mortality exhibited by the Jewish population in Israel in relation to other countries in the world. The sex differentials among Israeli Jews have been lower than in countries of Europe and North America. They are currently widening over time at a very slow pace, whereas in Europe and North America the differentials have been narrowing since around 1980. To study these patterns, multiple data sources are used. The main sources of information come from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics and the Human Mortality Database. These data allow the relative positioning of Israeli Jews in the world context using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of age-specific sex differentials in mortality. The paper ends with a discussion on different socio-cultural backgrounds among Israeli Jews to identify compositional factors, and on sex differentials in mortality among Jewish communities living elsewhere in the world.