Development of total mortality and cause-specific mortality in V4 countries since the beginning of the millennium

Development of total mortality and cause-specific mortality in V4 countries since the beginning of the millennium Abstract The main aim of this thesis is to describe and evaluate the development of total mortality and mortality by selected causes in V4 countries within the period 2000-2018. The thesis focuses especially on analysing the long-term, eventually incipient mortality trends and comparing individual countries, i. e. Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Life expectancy at birth and at the age of 65 is used to analyze the development of total mortality. The development of cause- specific mortality is assessed using standardized mortality rates and the contributions of age groups and groups of causes of death to changes in the life expectancy at birth. Improving mortality conditions within the V4 were observed and evidenced by the increase in life expectancy at birth and at age 65 in all countries over almost the entire period. This favourable development was primarily due to a decrease of mortality from circulatory diseases, especially in older age (65+). It was also found that in the new millennium, the trend of increasing mortality from some causes of death, such as mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system, appeared in the V4 countries. There has also been a diversification of the...