The Changes of Urban-Rural Disparity in Disability-Free Life Expectancy of Chinese Elderly: 2005-2010

Shenghui Yang, Renmin University of China
Wei Guo, Nanjing University

Based on the aggregate data of 1% National Population Sample Survey in 2005 and the Sixth Census in 2010, using life table technique and Sullivan method, we analyses the changes of life expectancy (LE), disability free life expectancy (DFLE), and their disparity among Chinese urban and rural elderly. The results show that urban elderly have higher LE and DFLE than their rural counterparts, and urban-rural disparity in LE and DFLE decrease with age. The results of comparison on LE and DFLE of the elderly demonstrate that urban-rural disparity in LE of Chinese elderly is expanding, but that in DFLE of Chinese elderly is compressing. However, unlike the findings from previous research, our research results indicate that the proportion of DFLE in LE is increasing and the increasing speed of DFLE/LE is higher among rural elderly than that among urban elderly at each age stage between 2005 and 2010.