Mortality is one of the foundational processes of population change, alongside fertility and migration, as it directly shapes the population size and age structure. Its centrality in the field of demography cannot be overstated. Indeed, it propelled some of the discipline’s earliest methodological breakthroughs (the life table) and many scholars view mortality decline as the main trigger for the demographic transition. Contemporary demographic research on health and mortality extends far beyond documenting trends in life expectancy, examining the intricate relationship between social determinants and population health from the individual to the population level.

Israel makes a particularly interesting case study in this area of research. Its population is extremely diverse with respect to ethnicity, religion and religiosity, and migration background, yet it exhibits very high levels of life expectancy at birth. The female longevity advantage in Israel is relatively small and stable by international standards. And some of Israel’s poorest population groups enjoy an exceedingly high level of life expectancy, departing from conventional demographic theory. The research group on health and mortality at the TAU Center for Population Science aims at understanding these unique characteristics, as well as answering other fundamental questions about healthy aging, lifespan inequality, and family bereavement.