Laboratory
Demographic Data
At a Glance
Projects
Publications
Team
Project
Human Mortality Database
Conducted by Dmitri A. Jdanov, Magali Barbieri (University of California, Berkeley, USA and French National Institute for Demographic Studies, Paris, France); Domantas Jasilionis, Carl Boe (University of California, Berkeley, USA), Isabella Marinetti, Denys Dukhovnov (University of California, Berkeley, USA), Lisa Körber, Svitlana Poniakina (French National Institute for Demographic Studies, Paris, France), László Németh
Detailed Description
The Human Mortality Database (HMD) provides detailed mortality data for statistically developed countries. It is a collaborative project sponsored by the MPIDR, the University of California, Berkeley, and the French Institute for Population Studies.
Population-level demographic data on mortality and longevity are of critical value to social, health, and actuarial sciences; interdisciplinary aging research; evidence-based policies; and some public and private business sectors, such as life and health insurance and pension funds. The HMD is the key scientific international database providing the highest quality data that are comparable across countries, as well as evidence on the dynamics of life expectancy and age patterns of mortality. The HMD’s impressive number of users (more than 70,000) and citation records (more than 8,000, see a non-exhaustive list at www.mortality.org/File/GetDocument/Public/HMD-Publist.pdf) prove that it holds the leading positions in these areas. Another important dimension is the formal recognition of the HMD by international organizations. HMD data are of critical importance for various population-level estimates produced by the UN, WHO, OECD, and European Commission. Moreover, HMD data have been principal sources for numerous breakthrough studies examining the progress of human longevity and aging.
At present, the database contains continuous and detailed data series for 41 countries or areas and nine subpopulations. The longest series is for Sweden (since 1751) and the shortest series is for South Korea (since 2003). The HMD is continually updated: We extend existing data series by adding the most recent data and including new countries.
By design, the database is limited to populations for whom the vital statistics and census data are almost complete. However, we are working on an extension of the HMD methodology for developing countries.
There are several subnational versions of the HMD, i.e., satellite projects on subnational data for specific countries (see full list at https://www.mortality.org/Links/SubnationalMortalityDatabases). All of these projects are supported by the HMD team but maintained by local experts. Together with researchers from the hosting countries, we plan to launch subnational databases for several new countries, including Germany.
In May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the Short-Term Mortality Fluctuations (STMF@HMD) data series. It complements the HMD by providing weekly death counts and death rates by age and sex. The STMF has been widely used to measure the mortality impact of the pandemic. The STMF@HMD is still regularly updated and provides estimates of excess mortality that capture the impacts of other public health threats, including those caused by climate change (e.g., heat waves or cold temperatures).
In the latest development, we have added cause-specific data to the HMD. This update integrates data from the Human Cause-of-Death Database (HCD) into the HMD, providing users with immediate access to comprehensive mortality data, including data on medical causes of death.
The 6th and the 7th HMD Symposium were held in Paris on June 16–17, 2023, and October 9-10, 2025, respectively (see the full list of events at www.mortality.org/Research/Events).
Aging, Mortality and Longevity, Data and Surveys, Historical Demography
Publications
Leon, D. A.; Jdanov, D. A.; Medina-Jaudes, N.; Danilova, I. A.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
European Journal of Epidemiology, 1–12. (2026)
Jdanov, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.:
Nature Aging 4, 1524–1526. (2024)
Islam, N.; Jdanov, D. A.; Shkolnikov, V. M.; Khunti, K.; Kawachi, I.; White, M.; Lewington, S.; Lacey, B.:
BMJ 375:e066768, 1–14. (2021)
Jdanov, D. A.; Alustiza Galarza, A.; Shkolnikov, V. M.; Jasilionis, D.; Németh, L.; Leon, D. A.; Boe, C.; Barbieri, M.:
Scientific Data 8:235, 1–8. (2021)
Németh, L.; Jdanov, D. A.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
PLOS One 16:2, e0246663–e0246663. (2021)
van Raalte, A. A.; Klüsener, S.; Oksuzyan, A.; Grigoriev, P.:
International Journal of Epidemiology 49:2, 486–496. (2020)
Jasilionis, D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
International Journal of Epidemiology 48:5, 1601–1603. (2019)
Jdanov, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.; Shkolnikov, V. M.; Barbieri, M.:
In: Encyclopedia of gerontology and population aging, 1–8. Cham: Springer International Publishing. (2019)
Leon, D. A.; Jdanov, D. A.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
The Lancet Public Health 4:11, e575–e582. (2019)
Klüsener, S.; Grigoriev, P.; Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Comparative Population Studies 43, 31–64. (2018)
Németh, L.; Missov, T. I.:
PLOS One 13:6, e0198485–e0198485. (2018)
Schneider, D. C.:
MPIDR Technical Report TR-2017-001. (2017)
Scholz, R. D.:
In: Datenreport 2016: ein Sozialbericht für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 28–34. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. (2016)
Shkolnikov, V. M.; Jdanov, D. A.:
MPIDR Technical Report TR-2016-001. (2016)
Agorastakis, M.; Jdanov, D. A.; Grigoriev, P.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Berkeley; Rostock. (2015)
Barbieri, M.; Wilmoth, J. R.; Shkolnikov, V. M.; Glei, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.; Jdanov, D. A.; Boe, C.; Riffe, T.; Grigoriev, P.; Winant, C.:
International Journal of Epidemiology 44:5, 1549–1556. (2015)
Penina, O.; Jdanov, D. A.; Grigoriev, P.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2015-011. (2015)
Shkolnikov, V. M.; Jdanov, D. A.; Andreev, E. M.; Vaupel, J. W.:
Advances in Gerontology 27:2, 229–235. (2014)
Shkolnikov, V. M.:
Demografische Forschung Aus Erster Hand 9:3, 1–2. (2012)
Andreev, E. M.; Kingkade, W. W.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2011-016. (2011)
Andreev, E. M.:
MPIDR Technical Report TR-2010-004. (2010)
Jdanov, D. A.; Glei, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.:
Genus 66:1, 17–36. (2010)
Jasilionis, D.; Andreev, E. M.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Social and Demographic Costs of Transition, Agveran (Armenia), October 1-4, 2008., 157–166. Yerevan, Armenia: Armenian State University of Economics. (2008)
Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Demografische Forschung Aus Erster Hand 5:1, 4–4. (2008)
Shkolnikov, V. M.; Jdanov, D. A.:
In: Demographic challenges for the 21st century: a state of the art in demography; conference organized as a tribute to the continuing
endeavours of Prof. Dr. Em. Ron Lesthaeghe in the field of demography, 211–220. Brussels: VUBPRESS. (2008)
Grigoriev, P.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2007)
Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2007)
Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2007)
Mészáros, J.; Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2007)
Scholz, R. D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2007)
Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2007-002. (2007)
Jasilionis, D.:
In: Living longer but healthier lives: how to achieve health gains in the elderly in the European Union? Proceedings of the XXVI Europe Blanche meeting, Budapest (Hungary), 25-26 November, 2005, 111–121. Paris: Institut des Sciences de la Santé. (2006)
Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2006)
Pyrozhkov, S.; Foygt, N.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2006)
Rychtáríkova, J.; Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2006)
Shkolnikov, V. M.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2006)
Jasilionis, D.; Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation
, http://www.mortality.org/. (2005)
Jdanov, D. A.; Andreev, E. M.; Jasilionis, D.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
Demographic Research 13:16, 389–414. (2005)
Jdanov, D. A.; Scholz, R. D.; Shkolnikov, V. M.:
Demographic Research 13:14, 335–362. (2005)
Philipov, D.; Jdanov, D. A.; Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation
, Internet. (2005)
Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2005)
Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2005)
Scholz, R. D.; Jdanov, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2005)
Shkolnikov, V. M.; Wilmoth, J. R.; Glei, D. A.:
Demographic Research 13:10, 223–230. (2005)
Wilmoth, J. R.; Andreev, K. F.; Jdanov, D. A.; Glei, D. A.:
Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2005)
Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2004)
Jasilionis, D.; Stankūnienė, V.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation
, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2004)
Philipov, D.; Jasilionis, D.:
Human Mortality Database: background and documentation, Human Mortality Database (http://www.mortality.org/). (2004)