Overview
MIM-2026 provides historical data through 2023, enhanced graphing functionality, and improved alignment between National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) mortality trends, while maintaining the MP-2021 mortality projection scale unchanged.
The MIM framework provides actuaries with a consistent starting point for projecting mortality improvement across applications and practice areas.
MIM-2026 Update Highlights
- Provides four additional years of historical data, thereby extending the dataset through 2023
- Does not change the MP-2021 mortality improvement scale.
- Enhanced graphing capabilities improve data visualization and user experience.
- Updated NCHS dataset brings its historical trends into closer alignment with those observed in the SSA dataset.
Datasets
Like the prior version of MIM, the 2026 update includes three datasets:
- NCHS dataset: U.S. population mortality data by socioeconomic decile, based on National Center for Health Statistics death records and U.S. Census population data.
- SSA dataset: National mortality data for the U.S. population from the Social Security Administration.
- MIB/NAIC dataset: Insured population mortality data segmented by policy characteristics, including face amount, plan type, and underwriting risk class (as explained in the report, this dataset is available for retrospective analysis but not for constructing projection scales).
Excel-Based Tools
Disclaimer
The Society of Actuaries Research Institute does not warrant these tools as fit for use in any respect, and no warranty whatsoever should be assumed or implied by any individual of this product or its fitness for any particular purpose. Actuaries, insurers, regulators and other parties use this tool at their own risk. The Institute disclaims all responsibility for any party’s use or misuse of its tools and for any work product generated through use or misuse of the tools.
By accepting, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above disclaimer language. (User needs to accept before downloading one or both tools).
- MIM-2026 Application Tool AGREE (Download Tool) | DISAGREE
- 2026 Mortality Trends Explorer AGREE (Download Tool) | DISAGREE
Prior MIM Releases
MIM-2021-v4 and earlier releases
Acknowledgments
MIM Advisory Group Members:
- Larry N. Stern, FSA, MAAA (Chairperson)
- Jean-Marc Fix, FSA, MAAA
- Sam Gutterman, FSA, MAAA, CERA, FCAS, FCA, HonFIA
- Thomas A. Jones, ASA. MAAA
- Mark Spong, FSA, CERA, MAAA
- Haofeng Yu, FSA, MAAA, CERA
At the Society of Actuaries Research Institute:
- Kara L. Clark, FSA, Sr. Practice Research Actuary
- Barbara Scott, Sr. Research Administrator
- Patrick Wiese, ASA, Modeling Researcher
FAQ
MIM-2026 incorporates mortality data through 2023 for general and insured populations, enhances graphing capabilities, renames the retrospective workbook to the “Mortality Trends Explorer”, improves NCHS data alignment with SSA trends, and retains the MP-2021 mortality projection scale unchanged.
The 2026 MIM update does not change the MP-2021 mortality projection scale (which is developed using data from the SSA). As explained in its 2025 report, the Retirement Plan Experience Committee has concluded that there is insufficient post-pandemic data to support the development of a new MP scale. Therefore, MP-2021 remains the latest scale produced by RPEC and continues to be included in MIM-2026.
Both the MIM Advisory Group and the Retirement Plan Experience Committee (RPEC), which oversees development of MP scales, believe that there is not yet sufficient post-pandemic data to support reliable trend estimation and forward projection. Therefore, while the updated datasets extend through 2023, MIM’s prospective modeling framework excludes data from 2020 onward when estimating mortality improvement trends. Practitioners who wish to study 2020-to-2023 data may do so using the retrospective workbook (now named the “Mortality Trends Explorer”).
The data update has little effect on pre-2020 SSA data, but it materially affects the 2011 to 2019 NCHS data. The revised NCHS data leads to mortality improvement estimates that are more closely aligned with SSA experience, as described in the report.