Wavelet estimates for graduating demographic rates

Paraskevi Peristera, Stockholm University
Anastasia Kostaki, Athens University of Economics and Business

The subject of representing the age-specific patterns of a population as regards to mortality and fertility is of particular interest in demographic analysis and actuarial practice. For the purpose of estimation of mortality and fertility rates several parametric and non-parametric techniques have been proposed in the literature. Most of the proposed models are parametric in the sense that they that represent the mortality and fertility pattern as a function of age and a number of parameters. Recently emphasis is also given in the use of non-parametric techniques. In this work a non-parametric estimation method is evaluated based on wavelet estimates. Wavelets estimates are used for the purpose of estimating mortality and fertility models. Comparisons of the results with those of other standard parametric and non-parametric techniques are provided.