The Role of Age and Causes of Death in Provincial Differences in Life Expectancy at Birth in Iran, 2016

The aim of this study is to identify the existing capacities in improving life expectancy at birth. So, the role of age groups and the main causes of death in provincial differences in life expectancy at birth in 2016 have been investigated in Iran. Life expectancy at birth was calculated using the National Organization for Civil Registration data. In addition, data on the causes of death by age and sex have been obtained from the registration system of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. After correcting the death data, the role of age groups and causes of death in the provincial differences in life expectancy were calculated using the Arriaga decomposition method. The results suggested that Sistan and Baluchestan province has the lowest and Isfahan and Alborz provinces have the highest life expectancy at birth in Iran, which shows a difference of about 8 years in life expectancy. Furthermore, almost all ages positively affected the life expectancy of provinces with higher life expectancy than the national level. Cardiovascular diseases and unintentional accidents were the most important causes of the difference in life expectancy in the provinces of Iran. Based on the findings, it seems that the differences in life expectancy at the provincial level are due to inequality in development.