From the mid-19th century until today, life expectancy at birth in the United States has roughly doubled, from 39.4 years in 1850 to 79.6 years in 2025. It is estimated that life expectancy in the U.S. began its upward trajectory in the 1880s, largely driven by the decline in infant and child mortality through factors such as vaccination programs, antibiotics, and other healthcare advancements. Improved food security and access to clean water, as well as general increases in living standards (such as better housing, education, and increased safety) also contributed to a rise in life expectancy across all age brackets. There were notable dips in life expectancy; with an eight year drop during the American Civil War in the 1860s, a seven year drop during the Spanish Flu empidemic in 1918, and a 2.5 year drop during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were also notable plateaus (and minor decreases) not due to major historical events, such as that of the 2010s, which has been attributed to a combination of factors such as unhealthy lifestyles, poor access to healthcare, poverty, and increased suicide rates, among others. However, despite the rate of progress slowing since the 1950s, most decades do see a general increase in the long term, and current UN projections predict that life expectancy at birth in the U.S. will increase by another nine years before the end of the century.

Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was below 39 years in the year 1765, and over the course of the next two and a half centuries, it is expected to have increased by more than double, to 81.1 by the year 2020. Although life expectancy has generally increased throughout the UK's history, there were several times where the rate deviated from its previous trajectory. These changes were the result of smallpox epidemics in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, new sanitary and medical advancements throughout time (such as compulsory vaccination), and the First world War and Spanish Flu epidemic in the 1910s.

This table contains 2394 series, with data for years 1991 - 1991 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 items: Canada ...), Population group (19 items: Entire cohort; Income adequacy quintile 1 (lowest);Income adequacy quintile 2;Income adequacy quintile 3 ...), Age (14 items: At 25 years; At 30 years; At 40 years; At 35 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Characteristics (3 items: Life expectancy; High 95% confidence interval; life expectancy; Low 95% confidence interval; life expectancy ...).

Life expectancy in India was 25.4 in the year 1800, and over the course of the next 220 years, it has increased to almost 70. Between 1800 and 1920, life expectancy in India remained in the mid to low twenties, with the largest declines coming in the 1870s and 1910s; this was because of the Great Famine of 1876-1878, and the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919, both of which were responsible for the deaths of up to six and seventeen million Indians respectively; as well as the presence of other endemic diseases in the region, such as smallpox. From 1920 onwards, India's life expectancy has consistently increased, but it is still below the global average.

Life expectancy in Canada was just below forty in the year 1800, and over the course of the next 220 years, it is expected to have increased by more than double to 82.2 by the year 2020. Throughout this time, life expectancy in Canada progressed at a steady rate, with the most noticeable changes coming during the interwar period, where the rate of increase was affected by the Spanish Flu epidemic and both World Wars.

This statistic shows the life expectancy at birth in Jamaica from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the average life expectancy at birth in Jamaica was 71.48 years. Jamaica's economic improvement Life expectancy in Jamaica is rising slowly, comparing ever more favorably with the rest of the world. In 2003, life expectancy was 70.98 years of age and over the period of ten years it rose slightly by about 3 years. When looking at past figures, in 1975 the median age of the population was significantly lower than what it is today. Back then, the average age of the population was only 17, but in 2015 it has risen to 29.1 years of age. This indicates a significant improvement in health care and living standards, resulting in extended life spans. Improvements have also been made regarding the fertility rate, and as of 2015 it stood at 2.03 – right at the natural replacement rate where most countries would like to be. This is shifting the age structure of Jamaica towards what is typical for developing countries. However, despite improvements in health and longer lifespans, GDP per capita remains low at around 5,000 U.S. dollars per capita. On the other hand, the unemployment rate, while still high is getting better, GDP growth is on the rise after some difficult years, and the inflation rate is also dropping. It appears that the living conditions and standard of living in Jamaica will continue to improve and as they do, it is also likely that tourism on the island will continue.

Life expectancy in Australia was just below 35 in the year 1870, and over the course of the next 150 years, it is expected to have increased to 83.2 by the year 2020. Although life expectancy has generally increased throughout Australia's history, there were several times where the rate deviated from its previous trajectory. the most noticeable changes were between 1890 and 1920. This period included Australia's Independence movement, the implementation of the 'White Australia' policy, the First World War and Spanish Flu epidemic, all of which impacted the demographics of Australia.

The map data is derived from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the years ranging from 1975-2000. The map shows the concentration of the number of deaths of people caused by or linked to volcanic eruptions in the world. Online resource: http://geodata.grid.unep.ch URL original source: www.cred.be/emdat

Palestine: Deaths of female children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 13 deaths per 1000 births, a decline from 14 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 23 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from 1975 to 2022 is 39 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 13 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 104 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1975.

Life expectancy in China was just 32 in the year 1850, and over the course of the next 170 years, it is expected to more than double to 76.6 years in 2020. Between 1850 and 1950, finding reliable data proved difficult for anthropologists, however some events, such as the Taiping Rebellion and Dungan Revolt in the nineteenth century did reduce life expectancy by a few years, and also the Chinese Civil War and Second World War in the first half of the twentieth century. In the second half of the 1900s, Chinese life expectancy increased greatly, as the country became more industrialized and the standard of living increased.

Introduction: Despite changes in prenatal diagnostic methods and perceptions regarding the prognosis of and treatment options for patients with trisomy 18 syndrome, data on the secular changes in patient survival are limited. This study aimed to investigate the survival pattern for such patients. Methods: To investigate the general patient survival patterns, we used data from the vital statistics database of deaths in Japan from 1975 to 2016. We described demographic factors, such as sex, gestational age at delivery, and surgical history, for patients whose primary cause of death was trisomy 18 syndrome. Results: The proportions of deaths within 24 h of birth (4.0% in 1975–1980 to 21.9% in 2011–2016) and at age ≥1 year (8.9% in 1975–1980 to 17.7% in 2011–2016) increased. The median survival time was higher for females, infants born after 37 weeks of gestation, and those who received surgical intervention. The median survival time tripled among patients who received surgical intervention (61.5 days in 1995–2005 to 182.5 days in 2006–2016), and the proportion of such patients increased (from 3.8% in 1995 to 24.1% of the entire affected population in 2016). Discussion/Conclusion: In Japan, the median survival time of infants with trisomy 18 increased over time, and the proportion of death within 24 h and at ≥1 year increased. Greater acknowledgement of the possible benefits of surgical intervention likely led to the increased provision of interventions and contributed to the increased survival time.

At the beginning of the 1840s, life expectancy from birth in Ireland was just over 38 years. However, this figure would see a dramatic decline with the beginning of the Great Famine in 1845, and dropped below 21 years in the second half of the decade (in 1849 alone, life expectancy fell to just 14 years). The famine came as a result of a Europe-wide potato blight, which had a disproportionally devastating impact on the Irish population due to the dependency on potatoes (particularly in the south and east), and the prevalence of a single variety of potato on the island that allowed the blight to spread faster than in other areas of Europe. Additionally, authorities forcefully redirected much of the country's surplus grain to the British mainland, which exacerbated the situation. Within five years, mass starvation would contribute to the deaths of over one million people on the island, while a further one million would emigrate; this also created a legacy of emigration from Ireland, which saw the population continue to fall until the mid-1900s, and the total population of the island is still well below its pre-famine level of 8.5 million people.

Following the end of the Great Famine, life expectancy would begin to gradually increase in Ireland, as post-famine reforms would see improvements in the living standards of the country’s peasantry, most notably the Land Wars, a largely successful series of strikes, boycotts and protests aimed at reform of the country's agricultural land distribution, which began in the 1870s and lasted into the 20th century. As these reforms were implemented, life expectancy in Ireland would rise to more than fifty years by the turn of the century. While this rise would slow somewhat in the 1910s, due to the large number of Irish soldiers who fought in the First World War and the Spanish Flu pandemic, as well as the period of civil unrest leading up to the island's partition in 1921, life expectancy in Ireland would rise greatly in the 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century, Ireland's healthcare system and living standards developed similarly to the rest of Western Europe, and today, it is often ranks among the top countries globally in terms of human development, GDP and quality of healthcare. With these developments, the increase in life expectancy from birth in Ireland was relatively constant in the first century of independence, and in 2020 is estimated to be 82 years.

Kyrgyzstan: Deaths of children under five years of age per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 17 deaths per 1000 births, a decline from 18 deaths per 1000 births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 25 deaths per 1000 births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Kyrgyzstan from 1975 to 2022 is 55 deaths per 1000 births. The minimum value, 17 deaths per 1000 births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 112 deaths per 1000 births was recorded in 1975.

Life expectancy in Japan was 36.4 in the year 1860, and over the course of the next 160 years, it is expected to have increased to 84.4, which is the second highest in the world (after Monaco). Although life expectancy has generally increased throughout Japan's history, there were several times where the rate deviated from its previous trajectory. These changes were a result of the Spanish Flu in the 1910s, the Second World War in the 1940s, and the sharp increase was due to the high rate of industrialization and economic prosperity in Japan, in the mid-twentieth century.

Cambodia: Life expectancy, in years, male: The latest value from 2022 is 67.12 years, an increase from 66.82 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 69.65 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for Cambodia from 1960 to 2022 is 50.75 years. The minimum value, 10.05 years, was reached in 1975 while the maximum of 68.4 years was recorded in 2019.

Life expectancy in Russia was 29.6 in the year 1845, and over the course of the next 175 years, it is expected to have increased to 72.3 years by 2020. Generally speaking, Russian life expectancy has increased over this 175 year period, however events such as the World Wars, Russian Revolution and a series of famines caused fluctuations before the mid-twentieth century, where the rate fluctuated sporadically. Between 1945 and 1950, Russian life expectancy more than doubled in this five year period, and it then proceeded to increase until the 1970s, when it then began to fall again. Between 1970 and 2005, the number fell from 68.5 to 65, before it then grew again in more recent years.

Life expectancy in Germany was below 39 in the year 1875, and over the course of the next 145 years, it is expected to have increased to above 81 years in the year 2020. Although life expectancy has generally increased throughout Germany's history, there were several times where the rate deviated from its previous trajectory. The most notable changes were because of the First and Second World Wars, in the first half of the twentieth century.

Number, rate and percentage changes in rates of homicide victims, Canada, provinces and territories, 1961 to 2024.

In 2020, the average age in Thailand is expected to reach 38.2 years, twenty years higher than in 1980, when it began to rise after a steady decrease in prior years. Previously, from 1950 to 1975, the average age hovered around 17 years. The increased average age corresponds with rising life expectancy globally, accelerating especially around the mid-twentieth century onward. In this century, the life expectancy in Thailand has increased by roughly 2.5 years since 2007, reaching 78.39 in 2017. The standard of living is increasing In Thailand, people ages 15 to 64 have consistently made up the majority of the population from 2007 to 2017. In this time, the older population grew increased by about three percent, while the younger population shrunk at roughly the same rate. This indicates that many people within the middle age category are reaching 65 or older, and that the birth rate is simultaneously declining. Birth rates are declining Every year, families are having fewer children in Thailand, with a fertility rate of less than 1.5 children per women of childbearing age in 2017. This is not necessarily a bad sign – it points towards increasing healthcare and living standards. Another indicator for this is the decreasing infant mortality in Thailand, meaning more of the children born each year survive. Lower infant mortality also contributes to the calculations of a higher life expectancy, and thus affects the country’s median age.

Between 1900 and 1950, Egypt’s life expectancy saw little change, hovering around 33 years, with the only decrease coming in the 1910s during the Spanish Flu epidemic and the Second World War. However, following the removal of the monarchy and establishment of the Egyptian republic in the 1952 Revolution, life expectancy saw a several decade rise, largely due to a significant expansion of the economy, health services, and other forms of social welfare; this increase then slowed between 1960 and 1975 as the economic growth in the country slowed, but it then increased to 68 years at the turn of the millennium. Since 2000, this growth has slowed, as a mixture of high population growth, high unemployment, and significant civil unrest have hit the country in the last two decades, although it has still reached 72 years in 2020, which is just one year below the global life expectancy.