Spatial convergence of mortality in Poland

Abstract

Aim. The aim is to observe whether there is a territorial similarity of changes in mortality due to selected causes in Poland in the years 2002–2017. Convergence models were used to verify the hypothesis according to which since Poland’s accession to the EU, the country has seen a spatial convergence of mortality due to major causes of death.

Result and conclusion. The country’s provinces have been becoming alike, as a result of the death intensity levels evening out for a majority of the examined groups of causes. This is indicated by the confirmed absolute beta-convergence for most of the variables, including the two major causes of death: I00–I99 and C00–D48. However, a confirmation of beta-convergence does not always apply both to a broader and a narrower group of causes. In turn, sigma-divergence of mortality due to a majority of the examined causes in Poland’s provinces indicates an increasing variation in the years 2002–2017, which means that the provinces were not becoming similar. Such findings indicate that the formulated hypothesis has not been confirmed.