Objective:

To calculate and analyse the contributions of changes in mortality by age groups and selected causes of death to sex differences in life expectancy at birth in Spain from 1980 to 2012.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study with three time points (1980, 1995, and 2012). We used data from Human Cause-of-Death Database and Human Mortality Database. We use a decomposition method of the differences in life expectancy and gender differences in life expectancy from changes in mortality by 5-year age groups and causes of death between women and men.

Results:

From 1980 to 1995, the lower mortality of women from 25 years old, and the differences in mortality by HIV/AIDS, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases contributed to the gap increase. From 1995 to 2012, greatest improvement in mortality of males under 74 years of age, and in improving male mortality from HIV/AIDS, acute myocardial infarction and traffic accidents contributed to the narrowing.

Conclusions:

The difference in life expectancy at birth between men and women has decreased since 1995 due to a greater improvement in mortality from causes of death associated with risky behaviours and habits of the working age male population.

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