Subjective longevity in Latin America: the cases of Chile and Mexico

The body of research on subjective survival expectations in developing countries is scant and to the best of our knowledge in Latin America is virtually non-existent. The main objective of this study is to investigate and compare the determinants of subjective survival expectations as they are stated by individuals aged 65-74 in Chile and Mexico. Results show that the determinants of subjective survival expectations are consistent for both, Chile and Mexico, with those reported by the literature for the US and Europe. Both studies show that age is an important determinant of subjective probabilities of surviving to a given age. Health is also highly relevant in determining subjective survival. However, contrary to what was expected, smoking was not a significant determinant of subjective survival in neither study. The same is true for obesity despite the obesogenic profile of both countries.