Is Mortality Under-Estimated?

Abstract

Before assessing changes in age- and sex-specific patterns of mortality in Ukraine, we have to decide what line to take towards shortcomings, often mentioned in the literature, in recording deaths. In order to judge the quality of registration of deaths, reference is generally made to age-specific model life tables. Just as for Russia (Shkolnikov et al. 1995a), the specific nature of mortality in Ukraine in the adult age groups makes the use of these models tricky, if not futile. However, we must take into consideration the criticisms often made of the quality of mortality data for the very young as well as for the old.