Table 1.

Decomposition of trends in life expectancy at birth (LE) between 1910–1911 and 2009–2011 by age groups; contributions are shown as a percentage of the overall change in life expectancy. (Source: Life table calculations are based on population and death counts obtained from Statistisches Bundesamt 2012a, b)

Time period	German Empire			FRG/western Germany					GDR/eastern Germany							Germany
	1910–1911– 1924–1926 1924–1926– 1932–1934			1949–1951– 1962–1964 1962–1964– 1970–1972 1970–1972– 1980–1982 1980–1982– 1988–1990 1988–1990– 2000–2002					1952–1953– 1963–1964 1963–1964– 1971–1972 1971–1972– 1985–1986 1985–1986– 1988–1989 1988–1989– 2000–2002							2000–2002– 2009–2011
Men
LE at the beginning of the time period	47.4	56.0		64.6	67.3	67.4	70.2	72.5	65.1	68.3	68.5		69.6	70.0		75.4
LE at the end of the time period	56.0	59.9		67.3	67.4	70.2	72.5	75.7	68.3	68.5	69.6		70.0	74.1		77.7
Average annual change in LE	0.59	0.49		0.21	0.02	0.28	0.30	0.26	0.29	0.02	0.08		0.13	0.33		0.26
Age group	Decomposition: contribution of age groups to changes in life expectancy (in %)
0	48.6	50.2	79.9		230.0	33.1	14.4	8.7	61.1	454.5	50.4		35.7		8.7	2.2
1–14	21.6	14.7	17.5		45.3	8.6	5.5	3.5	12.4	84.2	13.4		18.2		3.9	1.8
15–29	3.0	16.3	8.8		− 78.9	10.0	11.2	5.0	3.0	45.1	11.4		23.5		3.3	8.5
30–44	8.1	5.2	10.4		− 46.0	7.2	8.5	8.2	6.3	− 46.4	3.4		− 19.4		7.5	10.7
45–59	10.9	5.6	3.8		26.4	7.5	19.1	17.5	3.9	53.7	− 13.3		− 18.8		20.8	15.9
60–74	6.4	6.7	− 19.9		− 54.0	26.9	27.8	34.0	− 0.8	− 223.1	31.7		25.3		35.8	36.8
75 +	1.5	1.3	− 0.5		− 22.9	6.6	13.4	23.2	14.2	− 268.0	3.1		35.4		20.0	24.1
Women
LE at the beginning of the time period	50.7	58.8	68.5		73.0	73.8	76.9	79.0	69.1	73.3	73.7		75.5	76.2		81.2
LE at the end of the time period	58.8	62.8	73.0		73.8	76.9	79.0	81.4	73.3	73.7	75.5		76.2	80.8		82.7
Average annual change in LE	0.56	0.50	0.35		0.10	0.30	0.27	0.20	0.39	0.05	0.13		0.25	0.36		0.17
Age group	Decomposition: contribution of age groups to changes in life expectancy (in %)
0	46.9	42.8	41.3		30.9	26.0	15.2	8.1	38.2	194.0		25.3	15.2	5.9		4.1
1–14	25.4	15.3	10.4		5.4	6.2	4.8	3.2	9.4	37.1		7.8	1.8	2.7		2.2
15–29	5.6	15.2	9.2		− 1.7	4.0	5.3	2.9	7.7	18.6		5.4	4.7	2.0		4.3
30–44	7.3	10.9	7.9		8.7	5.8	5.1	6.7	7.6	37.4		7.6	3.0	5.1		8.0
45–59	5.8	6.7	8.8		3.3	12.9	13.6	8.0	5.4	30.5		13.6	8.8	14.5		11.7
60–74	6.9	7.3	15.1		39.6	22.2	25.3	32.0	13.1	− 43.6		23.0	27.2	36.4		29.1
75 +	2.1	1.8	7.3		13.8	22.9	30.6	39.0	18.5	− 173.9		17.2	39.4	33.5		40.6

Data from 1910–19 11 to 1932–1934 refer to the German Empire. Data from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) refer to West Germany, including West Berlin, from 1949–1951 to 1988–1990; and to western Germany, excluding West Berlin, for 2000–2002. Data for the German Democratic Republic (GDR) refer to East Germany, including East Berlin, from 1952–1953 to 1988–1989; and to eastern Germany, excluding East Berlin, for 2000–2002. Data for Germany for the last period from 2000–20 02 to 2009–2011 refer to Germany as a whole

Percentage values above 100 in the decomposition outcomes are particularly likely to occur if strong improvements in mortality in an age group are happening in periods with small changes in overall life expectancy. For example, life expectancy at birth for women in the GDR increased by just 0.39 years between 1963–1964 and 1971–1972. Strong declines in infant mortality contributed to an increase in life expectancy at birth of 0.76 years; this increase was, however, counteracted by mortality increases at higher age groups, as indicated by the negative values