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 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).

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in United States was reported at 75.8 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in United States was reported at 78.39 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Historical dataset showing World life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

India: Life expectancy, in years: The latest value from 2023 is 72 years, an increase from 71.7 years in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 73.65 years, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for India from 1960 to 2023 is 58.65 years. The minimum value, 45.56 years, was reached in 1965 while the maximum of 72 years was recorded in 2023.

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 September of 2025.

The USA: Life expectancy, in years, female: The latest value from 2022 is 80.2 years, an increase from 79.3 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 74.94 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2022 is 78.15 years. The minimum value, 73.1 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 81.4 years was recorded in 2019.

Brazil: Life expectancy, in years: The latest value from 2023 is 75.85 years, an increase from 74.87 years in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 73.65 years, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Brazil from 1960 to 2023 is 65.92 years. The minimum value, 53.16 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 75.85 years was recorded in 2023.

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 ...).

Historical dataset showing China life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

A global phenomenon, known as the demographic transition, has seen life expectancy from birth increase rapidly over the past two centuries. In pre-industrial societies, the average life expectancy was around 24 years, and it is believed that this was the case throughout most of history, and in all regions. The demographic transition then began in the industrial societies of Europe, North America, and the West Pacific around the turn of the 19th century, and life expectancy rose accordingly. Latin America was the next region to follow, before Africa and most Asian populations saw their life expectancy rise throughout the 20th century.

Denmark: Life expectancy, in years: The latest value from 2023 is 81.85 years, an increase from 81.3 years in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 73.65 years, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Denmark from 1960 to 2023 is 76.12 years. The minimum value, 72.18 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 81.85 years was recorded in 2023.

Historical dataset showing Lithuania life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

Historical dataset showing Japan life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Canada was reported at 81.65 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Canada - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Argentina was reported at 77.4 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Argentina - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Sweden was reported at 85 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Historical dataset showing Finland life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

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.