Mortality Differentials by Marital Status in Korea: 1990-2010

This paper examines the relationship between marital status and mortality by sex and age, as well as the change in this relationship during the past twenty years in Korea. Relative Mortality Ratios and abridged life tables were conducted from 1990 to 2010 for every five years. They were calculated using population by marital status from the Population and Household Census and deaths by marital status from vital statistics. Findings are as follows. First, mortality is different by marital status and the differences are greater for males than females in Korea. In 2010, life expectancy was 6.6 years shorter for single males than married males, 4.0 years shorter for single females than married females. Divorced people’s life spans were shorter than those of married people by 6.1 years for males and 2.1 years for females. Second, mortality differences by marital status for males are greater in the younger age group, while female’s differences are consistent over all age groups. Third, all unmarried people’s life expectancy disadvantages have decreased. The largest decrease happened to single females, with a life span difference of 20.4 years in 1990 to 4.0 years in 2010. The smallest reduction has happened to divorced males, from 8.1 years in 1990 to 6.1 years in 2010.