Trends and differentials in life expectancies in India: an analysis based on NFHS data

Sulaja S, Futures Group, India
Jayachandran V, Futures Group, India

Life expectancy at birth is considered as on of the best crude measure that gives health status of any population. However, during recent periods not many studies are carried out in this direction to assess the health status of the Indian population, with the exception of some life tables from the Sample Registration System (SRS). But the life tables based on SRS also limits its presentation to state level and sex. Therefore, an attempt has been made here to estimate and analyse the trends in life expectancy by religion and caste/tribe in India. For this purpose data from two rounds of the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) were used, i.e., conducted during 1992-93 and 1998-99. Results from the analysis clearly brings out the fact that the life expectancy at birth during the period 1997-98 is almost 70 years for both males and females compared with about 60 years during 1991-92.