The role of living kin in later-life survival: Evidence from Finnish historical data

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 ages 50-90. At age 50, most individuals had at least one living child or sibling, although only one-fifth had a grandchild. Merely having a child or sibling did not guarantee better survival. However, men with both sons and daughters or with at least one grandchild experienced lower odds of dying. Having siblings, particularly sisters, became beneficial for survival after age 70. These findings highlight the nuanced role of kin, suggesting that their historical association with longevity varied by kin type and sex and by the individual's age and sex.