Concept:
In demography and population studies, life tables are used to analyze survival and mortality patterns of a population. The term "cohort" is fundamental in constructing life tables.
Definition of Cohort: A
cohort refers to a group of individuals who share a common characteristic and are followed over a period of time. In life tables, it usually means:
A group of people born in the same year or period
Tracked throughout their lifetime to study survival and mortality
Cohort in Life Tables: In a life table, a hypothetical cohort (often 1000 or 100,000 births) is used to:
Observe how many survive to each age
Calculate life expectancy
Study mortality patterns
Example:
If a life table starts with 100,000 newborns, this entire group is treated as a single cohort and their survival is tracked across different ages.
Importance:
Helps estimate life expectancy
Used in insurance and public health planning
Useful in demographic analysis