The Role of Living Kin in Later Life Survival: Evidence from Finnish Historical Data

Alena Artamonova , Population Research Institute at Väestöliitto
Milla Salonen, University of Turku
Takayuki Hiraoka, Aalto University
Mirkka Lahdenperä, University of Turku
Jari Saramäki, Aalto University
Anna Rotkirch, Population Research Institute at Vaestoliitto
Virpi Lummaa, University of Turku

Research on kinship and survival is well established in modern societies, but less is known about historical populations. This study examines the presence of children, siblings, and grandchildren in later life and their association with survival in pre-industrial Finland. We use records of 6,900 Finns born in 1740–1859 to estimate discrete-time hazard models for mortality at age 50–90 years. At age 50, most individuals had at least one living child and sibling, though only one-fifth had a grandchild. Simply having a child or sibling did not guarantee better survival. Men with both sons and daughters, or with at least one grandchild had lower odds of dying. Having siblings, particularly sisters, became beneficial for survival from age 66 for men and 73 for women. These findings highlight the nuanced role of kin, suggesting their association with longevity varied by kin type, sex, and age.

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 Presented in Session P8. Demographic Trends, History, Data and Methods