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Life Tables for the United States, 1850-1940

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) J. David Hacker, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Jonas Helgertz, Lund University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Version Title:  View help for Version Title Life Tables for the United States, 1850-1940, v1.0

Name File Type Size Last Modified
Hacker_Helgertz_US_Life_Tables_1850-1940_v1.0.dta application/x-stata-dta 21.3 MB 08/28/2025 12:37:PM

Project Citation: 

Hacker, J. David, and Helgertz, Jonas. Life Tables for the United States, 1850-1940. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-08-28. https://doi.org/10.3886/E237510V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This dataset includes decennial life table survivorship estimates in the United States by age, sex, race, and decade for the periods 1850-1880 and 1900-1940 at seven levels of geography: urban/rural, city, county, SEA, state, census division, and nation. We also include estimates of life expectancy at birth and infant mortality. From these data users can calculate additional life table parameters using standard demographic methods. All life tables were constructed using estimates of child survival from linked census datasets and extended to all ages using the United Nation's General Standard model life table system. 

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms United States; IPUMS; Census; mortality rates; life expectancy; early life conditions
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States, Census region, State, State Economic Area, County, City
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1850 – 1880 (Decades between 1850 and 1880); 1900 – 1940 (Decades between 1900 and 1940)
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 8/25/2025 – 8/25/2025
Universe:  View help for Universe The white and black population of the United States enumerated in census years 1850-1880 and 1900-1940. 
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) census/enumeration data

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source Ruggles, S., M.A. Nelson, M. Sobek, C.A. Fitch, R. Goeken, J.D. Hacker, E. Roberts, and J.R. Warren. 2024. "IPUMS Ancestry Full Count Data: Version 4.0 [dataset]." IPUMS. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS.

 Ruggles, S., N. Ozder, C.A. Fitch, M. Sobek, J.A.R. Drew, J.D. Hacker, J. Helgertz, C. Lonobile, M.A. Nelson, E. Roberts, and J.R. Warren. 2025. "IPUMS Multigenerational Longitudinal Panel: Version 2.0." IPUMS. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. 

Price, J., K. Buckles, J. Van Leeuwen, and I. Riley. 2021. "Combining family history and machine learning to link historical records: The Census Tree data set." Explorations in Economic History 80:101391.

Buckles, K., A. Haws, J. Price, and H.E. Wilbert. 2024. "Breakthroughs in Historical Record Linking Using Genealogy Data: The Census Tree Project." National Bureau of Economic Research.

Related Publications

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Published Versions

V2 [2025-08-30]

V1 [2025-08-28]

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Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

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This material is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.