New paper in Social Indicators Research with Magdalena Muszyńska-Spielauer, Alyson van Raalte, and Yukiko Asada
In this paper, we develop a novel approach for moving from lifespan inequality to lifespan inequity. Drawing on the capability approach, we argue that human flourishing entails the capability of living a life of “normal length,” and adapt tools from poverty measurement to quantify shortfalls from that norm. We define a threshold, the Minimally Adequate Length of Life (MALL), based on the modal age at death, and measure premature mortality (deaths below MALL) in terms of its incidence, depth, and inequality. Applying this framework to the United States from 1933–2021 and comparing it with other high-income countries, we find that while US lifespan inequity once declined faster than elsewhere, it began lagging in the 1980s and by the 2010s had the highest levels among its peers. The COVID-19 pandemic further deepened inequity by increasing the depth of premature mortality. Overall, our paper proposes a way to link demographic measures of lifespan variability with theories of justice and fairness.
Read the full paper here https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03711-w