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.

This statistic shows the average life expectancy in North America for those born in 2022, by gender and region. In Canada, the average life expectancy was 80 years for males and 84 years for females.

Life expectancy in North America

Of those considered in this statistic, the life expectancy of female Canadian infants born in 2021 was the longest, at 84 years. Female infants born in America that year had a similarly high life expectancy of 81 years. Male infants, meanwhile, had lower life expectancies of 80 years (Canada) and 76 years (USA).

Compare this to the worldwide life expectancy for babies born in 2021: 75 years for women and 71 years for men. Of continents worldwide, North America ranks equal first in terms of life expectancy of (77 years for men and 81 years for women). Life expectancy is lowest in Africa at just 63 years and 66 years for males and females respectively. Japan is the country with the highest life expectancy worldwide for babies born in 2020.

Life expectancy is calculated according to current mortality rates of the population in question. Global variations in life expectancy are caused by differences in medical care, public health and diet, and reflect global inequalities in economic circumstances. Africa’s low life expectancy, for example, can be attributed in part to the AIDS epidemic. In 2019, around 72,000 people died of AIDS in South Africa, the largest amount worldwide. Nigeria, Tanzania and India were also high on the list of countries ranked by AIDS deaths that year. Likewise, Africa has by far the highest rate of mortality by communicable disease (i.e. AIDS, neglected tropics diseases, malaria and tuberculosis).

Note: This dataset is historical only and there are not corresponding datasets for more recent time periods. For that more-recent information, please visit the Chicago Health Atlas at https://chicagohealthatlas.org.

This dataset gives the average life expectancy and corresponding confidence intervals for each Chicago community area for the years 1990, 2000 and 2010. See the full description at: https://data.cityofchicago.org/api/views/qjr3-bm53/files/AAu4x8SCRz_bnQb8SVUyAXdd913TMObSYj6V40cR6p8?download=true&filename=P:\EPI\OEPHI\MATERIALS\REFERENCES\Life Expectancy\Dataset description - LE by community area.pdf

Life expectancy at birth and at age 65, by sex, on a three-year average basis.

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 ...).

In 2024, the average life expectancy in the world was 71 years for men and 76 years for women. The lowest life expectancies were found in Africa, while Oceania and Europe had the highest. What is life expectancy?Life expectancy is defined as a statistical measure of how long a person may live, based on demographic factors such as gender, current age, and most importantly the year of their birth. The most commonly used measure of life expectancy is life expectancy at birth or at age zero. The calculation is based on the assumption that mortality rates at each age were to remain constant in the future. Life expectancy has changed drastically over time, especially during the past 200 years. In the early 20th century, the average life expectancy at birth in the developed world stood at 31 years. It has grown to an average of 70 and 75 years for males and females respectively, and is expected to keep on growing with advances in medical treatment and living standards continuing. Highest and lowest life expectancy worldwide Life expectancy still varies greatly between different regions and countries of the world. The biggest impact on life expectancy is the quality of public health, medical care, and diet. As of 2022, the countries with the highest life expectancy were Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Australia, all at 84–83 years. Most of the countries with the lowest life expectancy are mostly African countries. The ranking was led by the Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho with 53–54 years.

This table contains 2754 series, with data for years 2005/2007 - 2012/2014 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (153 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority, Newfoundland and Labrador; Central Regional Integrated Health Authority, Newfoundland and Labrador; ...); Age group (2 items: At birth; At age 65); Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females); Characteristics (3 items: Life expectancy; Low 95% confidence interval, life expectancy; High 95% confidence interval, life expectancy).

Life Expectancy of the World Population

The dataset from Worldometer provides a ranked list of countries based on life expectancy at birth, which represents the average number of years a newborn is expected to live under current mortality rates. It includes global, regional, and country-specific life expectancy figures, with separate data for males and females. The dataset highlights disparities in longevity across nations, with countries like Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea having the highest life expectancies. This data serves as a key indicator of public health, quality of life, and healthcare effectiveness, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and global health organizations.

Data Analysis & Machine Learning Approaches for Life Expectancy Data

Data Analysis Approaches Life expectancy data can be analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, variance, distribution) and correlation analysis to identify relationships with factors like GDP, healthcare, and education. Time series analysis helps track longevity trends over time, while clustering techniques (e.g., K-Means) group countries with similar patterns. Additionally, geospatial analysis can visualize regional disparities in life expectancy.

Machine Learning Models For prediction, linear and multiple regression models estimate life expectancy based on socioeconomic indicators, while polynomial regression captures non-linear trends. Decision trees and Random Forests classify countries into high- and low-life expectancy groups. Deep learning techniques like neural networks (ANNs) can model complex relationships, while LSTMs are useful for time-series forecasting.

For pattern detection, K-Means clustering groups countries based on life expectancy trends, and DBSCAN identifies anomalies. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) helps in feature selection, improving model efficiency. These methods provide insights into longevity trends, helping policymakers and researchers improve public health strategies.

Life expectancy at birth. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates.

Source: https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/#countries-ranked-by-life-expectancy

This dataset provides aggregated life expectancy data averaged over multiple years for various countries, along with associated socio-economic and health-related factors. It aims to facilitate analysis of global health trends, the relationship between life expectancy and development indicators, and regional disparities.

Key Features

• Country & Region: Includes data from a diverse range of countries across continents, categorized by their respective regions.
• Life Expectancy: The average life expectancy in years for each country.
• Socio-economic Indicators:
  • GDP per capita
  • Schooling (average years of education)
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Economy status (developed or developing)
• Health Indicators:
  • Infant mortality
  • Adult mortality
  • HIV prevalence
  • Immunization rates (e.g., Hepatitis B, Polio)
  • Incidence of diseases like measles and diphtheria
  • BMI (Body Mass Index) data
  • Thinness prevalence among children and adolescents

Purpose of the Dataset

This dataset can be used for: 1. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA): Understand trends in life expectancy across different regions and economic statuses. 2. Data Visualization: Create meaningful plots (e.g., choropleth maps, scatter plots, pair plots) to analyze relationships between variables. 3. Machine Learning: Develop predictive models for life expectancy based on socio-economic and health factors. 4. Policy Research: Support policy-making by identifying key factors influencing life expectancy.

Inspiration

• What are the primary factors affecting life expectancy in different countries?
• How does life expectancy vary by region or economic development?
• Can we predict life expectancy using other health and economic indicators?

License

This dataset is shared under the CC BY 4.0 License. Proper attribution is required for reuse.

As of 2023, the countries with the highest life expectancy included Switzerland, Japan, and Spain. As of that time, a new-born child in Switzerland could expect to live an average of **** years. Around the world, females consistently have a higher average life expectancy than males, with females in Europe expected to live an average of *** years longer than males on this continent. Increases in life expectancy The overall average life expectancy in OECD countries increased by **** years from 1970 to 2019. The countries that saw the largest increases included Turkey, India, and South Korea. The life expectancy at birth in Turkey increased an astonishing 24.4 years over this period. The countries with the lowest life expectancy worldwide as of 2022 were Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria, where a newborn could be expected to live an average of ** years. Life expectancy in the U.S. The life expectancy in the United States was ***** years as of 2023. Shockingly, the life expectancy in the United States has decreased in recent years, while it continues to increase in other similarly developed countries. The COVID-19 pandemic and increasing rates of suicide and drug overdose deaths from the opioid epidemic have been cited as reasons for this decrease.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for the United States (SPDYNLE00INUSA) from 1960 to 2023 about life expectancy, life, birth, and USA.

The average for 2022 based on 24 countries was 77.36 years. The highest value was in Bermuda: 84.51 years and the lowest value was in Haiti: 66.7 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This table contains mortality indicators by sex for Canada and all provinces except Prince Edward Island. These indicators are derived from three-year complete life tables. Mortality indicators derived from single-year life tables are also available (table 13-10-0837). For Prince Edward Island, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, mortality indicators derived from three-year abridged life tables are available (table 13-10-0140).

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR Life Expectancy (EQ6)

FULL MEASURE NAME Life Expectancy

LAST UPDATED April 2017

DESCRIPTION Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns remain the same. The measure reflects the mortality rate across a population for a point in time.

DATA SOURCE State of California, Department of Health: Death Records (1990-2013) No link

California Department of Finance: Population Estimates Annual Intercensal Population Estimates (1990-2010) Table P-2: County Population by Age (2010-2013) http://www.dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Demographics/Estimates/

U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census ZCTA Population (2000-2010) http://factfinder.census.gov

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 5-Year Population Estimates (2013) http://factfinder.census.gov

CONTACT INFORMATION vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator) Life expectancy is commonly used as a measure of the health of a population. Life expectancy does not reflect how long any given individual is expected to live; rather, it is an artificial measure that captures an aspect of the mortality rates across a population that can be compared across time and populations. More information about the determinants of life expectancy that may lead to differences in life expectancy between neighborhoods can be found in the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) Health Inequities in the Bay Area report at http://www.barhii.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/barhii_hiba.pdf. Vital Signs measures life expectancy at birth (as opposed to cohort life expectancy). A statistical model was used to estimate life expectancy for Bay Area counties and ZIP Codes based on current life tables which require both age and mortality data. A life table is a table which shows, for each age, the survivorship of a people from a certain population.

Current life tables were created using death records and population estimates by age. The California Department of Public Health provided death records based on the California death certificate information. Records include age at death and residential ZIP Code. Single-year age population estimates at the regional- and county-level comes from the California Department of Finance population estimates and projections for ages 0-100+. Population estimates for ages 100 and over are aggregated to a single age interval. Using this data, death rates in a population within age groups for a given year are computed to form unabridged life tables (as opposed to abridged life tables). To calculate life expectancy, the probability of dying between the jth and (j+1)st birthday is assumed uniform after age 1. Special consideration is taken to account for infant mortality.

For the ZIP Code-level life expectancy calculation, it is assumed that postal ZIP Codes share the same boundaries as ZIP Code Census Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). More information on the relationship between ZIP Codes and ZCTAs can be found at http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/zctas.html. ZIP Code-level data uses three years of mortality data to make robust estimates due to small sample size. Year 2013 ZIP Code life expectancy estimates reflects death records from 2011 through 2013. 2013 is the last year with available mortality data. Death records for ZIP Codes with zero population (like those associated with P.O. Boxes) were assigned to the nearest ZIP Code with population. ZIP Code population for 2000 estimates comes from the Decennial Census. ZIP Code population for 2013 estimates are from the American Community Survey (5-Year Average). ACS estimates are adjusted using Decennial Census data for more accurate population estimates. An adjustment factor was calculated using the ratio between the 2010 Decennial Census population estimates and the 2012 ACS 5-Year (with middle year 2010) population estimates. This adjustment factor is particularly important for ZCTAs with high homeless population (not living in group quarters) where the ACS may underestimate the ZCTA population and therefore underestimate the life expectancy. The ACS provides ZIP Code population by age in five-year age intervals. Single-year age population estimates were calculated by distributing population within an age interval to single-year ages using the county distribution. Counties were assigned to ZIP Codes based on majority land-area.

ZIP Codes in the Bay Area vary in population from over 10,000 residents to less than 20 residents. Traditional life expectancy estimation (like the one used for the regional- and county-level Vital Signs estimates) cannot be used because they are highly inaccurate for small populations and may result in over/underestimation of life expectancy. To avoid inaccurate estimates, ZIP Codes with populations of less than 5,000 were aggregated with neighboring ZIP Codes until the merged areas had a population of more than 5,000. ZIP Code 94103, representing Treasure Island, was dropped from the dataset due to its small population and having no bordering ZIP Codes. In this way, the original 305 Bay Area ZIP Codes were reduced to 217 ZIP Code areas for 2013 estimates. Next, a form of Bayesian random-effects analysis was used which established a prior distribution of the probability of death at each age using the regional distribution. This prior is used to shore up the life expectancy calculations where data were sparse.

Across the world, people are living longer.

In 1900, the average life expectancy of a newborn was 32 years. By 2021 this had more than doubled to 71 years.

But where, when, how, and why has this dramatic change occurred?

To understand it, we can look at data on life expectancy worldwide.

The large reduction in child mortality has played an important role in increasing life expectancy. But life expectancy has increased at all ages. Infants, children, adults, and the elderly are all less likely to die than in the past, and death is being delayed.

This remarkable shift results from advances in medicine, public health, and living standards. Along with it, many predictions of the ‘limit’ of life expectancy have been broken.

, you will find global data and research on life expectancy and related measures of longevity: the probability of death at a given age, the sex gap in life expectancy, lifespan inequality within countries, and more. Life expectancy has increased across the world In 2021, the global average life expectancy was just over 70 years. This is an astonishing fact – because just two hundred years ago, it was less than half.

This was the case for all world regions: in 1800, no region had a life expectancy higher than 40 years.

The average life expectancy has risen steadily and significantly across all regions.1

This extraordinary rise is the result of a wide range of advances in health – in nutrition, clean water, sanitation, neonatal healthcare, antibiotics, vaccines, and other technologies and public health efforts – and improvements in living standards, economic growth, and poverty reduction.

legacy-wordpress-upload Twice as long – life expectancy around the world Life expectancy has doubled over the last two centuries around the world. How has this happened?

📌### ******What you should know about this data****** Period life expectancy is a metric that summarizes death rates across all age groups in one particular year. For a given year, it represents the average lifespan for a hypothetical group of people, if they experienced the same age-specific death rates throughout their whole lives as the age-specific death rates seen in that particular year. This data is compiled from three sources: the United Nations’ World Population Prospects (UN WPP), Zijdeman et al. (2015)2, and Riley (2005)3. For data points before 1950, we use Human Mortality Database data4 combined with Zijdeman (2015). From 1950 onwards, we use UN WPP data. For pre-1950 data on world regions and the world as a whole, we use estimates from Riley (2005). Riley (2005)3 compiles life expectancy estimates from hundreds of historical sources and calculates the average of estimates that met an acceptable quality threshold, such as having estimates for entire nations or regions. Less historical data is available from the pre-health transition period in countries – this is especially the case for Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the former Soviet Union. Zijdeman et al. (2015)2 compiles data from various sources: the OECD.Stat database library, the United Nations World Population Prospects Database (UN WPP), the Human Mortality Database (HMD), the Montevideo-Oxford Latin American Economic History Database (MOxLAD), and Gapminder. In some cases, regional databases are used, such as Wrigley et al. (1997)5 for life expectancy in England in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries; the ONS for Australia; Kannisto et al. (1999)6 for Finland; and data from the Estonian Interuniversity Population Research Centre for Estonia. The UN WPP estimates life expectancy in various countries using data on mortality rates. In poorer countries, where death registration data is often lacking, the underlying data often comes from national household surveys, which are then used to estimate mortality rates and life expectancy.

📌## There are wide differences in life expectancy around the world In 2021, Nigeria's life expectancy was thirty years lower than Japan’s.

This striking fact reflects the wide differences in life expectancy between countries, which you can see on the map.

These wide differences are also reflected within countries. Countries with a lower average life expectancy also tend to have wider variations in lifespans.

📌**## Life expectancy has increased at all ages** It’s a common misconception that life expectancy has only increased because of declines in child mortality.

This is part of what happened. Child mortality used to be high and contributed significantly to short lifespans in the past, and it has declined greatly over time.

But, especially in recent decades, child mortality declines have contributed much less to increasing life expectancy8, and large declines in mortality are seen across all age groups.

You can see this in the chart. It shows the total life expectancy for people who have already survived to older ages.

F...

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in United States was reported at 81.1 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

In 2021, women had an average life expectancy of ** years at birth, while men were expected to live 68.9 years. The average life expectancy worldwide dropped from 2019 to 2021, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statistic depicts the average life expectancy at birth worldwide in 1990, 2019, and 2021, by gender.

Across the world, people are living longer. In 1900, the average life expectancy of a newborn was 32 years. By 2021 this had more than doubled to 71 years. But where, when, how, and why has this dramatic change occurred? To understand it, we can look at data on life expectancy worldwide. The large reduction in child mortality has played an important role in increasing life expectancy. But life expectancy has increased at all ages. Infants, children, adults, and the elderly are all less likely to die than in the past, and death is being delayed. This remarkable shift results from advances in medicine, public health, and living standards. Along with it, many predictions of the ‘limit’ of life expectancy have been broken.

Data Dictionary

life_expectancy.csv

life_expectancy_different_ages.csv

life_expectancy_female_male.csv

citation(tidytuesday)

The average for 2022 based on 192 countries was 74.94 years. The highest value was in Macao: 87.98 years and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 53.97 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The objective behind attempting this dataset was to understand the predictors that contribute to the life expectancy around the world. I have used Linear Regression, Decision Tree and Random Forest for this purpose. Steps Involved: - Read the csv file - Data Cleaning: - Variables Country and Status were showing as having character data types. These had to be converted to factor - 2563 missing values were encountered with Population variable having the most of the missing values i.e 652 - Missing rows were dropped before we could run the analysis. 3) Run Linear Regression - Before running linear regression, 3 variables were dropped as they were not found to be having that much of an effect on the dependent variable i.e Life Expectancy. These 3 variables were Country, Year & Status. This meant we are now working with 19 variables (1 dependent and 18 independent variables) - We run the linear regression. Multiple R squared is 83% which means that independent variables can explain 83% change or variance in the dependent variable. - OULTLIER DETECTION. We check for outliers using IQR and find 54 outliers. These outliers are then removed before we run the regression analysis once again. Multiple R squared increased from 83% to 86%. - MULTICOLLINEARITY. We check for multicollinearity using the VIF model(Variance Inflation Factor). This is being done in case when two or more independent variables showing high correlation. The thumb rule is that absolute VIF values above 5 should be removed. We find 6 variables that have a VIF value higher than 5 namely Infant.deaths, percentage.expenditure,Under.five.deaths,GDP,thinness1.19,thinness5.9. Infant deaths and Under Five deaths have strong collinearity so we drop infant deaths(which has the higher VIF value). - When we run the linear regression model again, VIF value of Under.Five.Deaths goes down from 211.46 to 2.74 while the other variable's VIF values reduce very less. Variable thinness1.19 is now dropped and we run the regression once more. - Variable thinness5.9 whose absolute VIF value was 7.61 has now dropped to 1.95. GDP and Population are still having VIF value more than 5 but I decided against dropping these as I consider them to be important independent variables. - SET THE SEED AND SPLIT THE DATA INTO TRAIN AND TEST DATA. We run the train data and get multiple R squared of 86% and p value less than that of alpha which states that it is statistically significant. We use the train data to predict the test data to find out the RMSE and MAPE. We run the library(Metrics) for this purpose. - In Linear Regression, RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error) is 3.2. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values have an error of 3.2 years as compared to the actual life expectancy values. - MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) is 0.037. This indicates an accuracy prediction of 96.20% (1-0.037). - MAE (Mean Absolute Error) is 2.55. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values deviate by approximately 2.83 years from the actual values.

We use DECISION TREE MODEL for the analysis.

• Run the required libraries (rpart, rpart.plot, RColorBrewer, rattle).
• We run the decision tree analysis using rpart and plot the tree. We use fancyRpartPlot.
• We use 5 fold cross validation method with CP (complexity parameter) being 0.01.
• In Decision Tree , RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error) is 3.06. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values have an error of 3.06 years as compared to the actual life expectancy values.
• MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) is 0.035. This indicates an accuracy prediction of 96.45% (1-0.035).
• MAE (Mean Absolute Error) is 2.35. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values deviate by approximately 2.35 years from the actual values.

We use RANDOM FOREST for the analysis.

• Run library(randomForest)
• We use varImpPlot to find out which variables are most significant and least significant. Income composition is the most important followed by adult mortality and the least relevant independent variable is Population.
• Predict Life expectancy through random forest model.
• In Random Forest , RMSE (Root Mean Squared Error) is 1.73. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values have an error of 1.73 years as compared to the actual life expectancy values.
• MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) is 0.01. This indicates an accuracy prediction of 98.27% (1-0.01).
• MAE (Mean Absolute Error) is 1.14. This indicates that on an average, the predicted values deviate by approximately 1.14 years from the actual values.

Conclusion: Random Forest is the best model for predicting the life expectancy values as it has the lowest RMSE, MAPE and MAE.