Nearly a century and a half of mortality in Argentina...

Abstract

This paper analyzes the evolution of mortality in Argentina during 1869-2010, differentials by sex, age, causes, region and socioeconomic determinants .Life expectancy at birth had an almost linear trend, increasing from 33 to 75 years. Regional differences are significant and decreasing, related to inequalities in living conditions. Between 1960 and 2010, the age standardized mortality rate fell 46%; the greatest reduction corresponds to infectious diseases (76%) and the lowest to violence or external causes (39%). Mortality prospects generate controversy over the impact of technical, medical and environmental changes and the balance of these factors, but knowledge of the past is fundamental.