Age-specific mortality and short-term changes in the standard of living: Sweden, 1751–1859

The response of mortality to short-term changes in real wages is analyzed here not just in its own right but more particularly as an indicator of long-term shifts in the general standard of living. It is hypothesized that the response would have been stronger the lower the standard of living. The relationship between age-specific mortality levels and real-wage series for Sweden 1751–1860 is analyzed using a distributed-lag model and spectral analysis. The results suggest a real shift in the material standard of living during the period.