Life Table Analysis and Manpower Statistics — A Note

The idea of a life table was first suggested by John Graunt in his Observations on the Bills of Mortality for the City of London, which was published in 1662. A number of these tables were produced in the next century to meet the needs of the growing insurance industry. These companies insured lives and needed to know how long people of various ages could be expected to live to pay premiums or receive benefits.