Sex differences in life expectancy at birth in two Caucasus countries: the role of the alcohol-related mortality?

In the framework of the unfavourable mortality trends observed in the former Soviet republics, Caucasian countries experience specific evolution. In this region, civil registration of vital events remains not complete. We re-estimated mortality levels and trends in Armenia and Georgia since the early 1980s, confirming specific mortality patterns, but similar in both countries. However, gender differences are greater in Georgia than in Armenia. The aim of this paper is to explore the reasons for these differences: looking at all ages, but more specifically at adult mortality for which data are more reliable and where we suspect a major role of alcohol-related mortality that is higher in Georgia than in Armenia.