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.

Context

The geo URI scheme is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) . https://data.gov.uk/dataset/27cb8743-a623-424c-b097-12c398697828/life-expectancy

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Content

Life expectancy is a summary measure of the all-cause mortality rates in an area in a given period. It shows an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the age-specific mortality rates for that area and time period throughout his or her life. Figures reflect mortality among those living in an area in the given time period, not the life expectancy of newborn children. That is because both the mortality rates of the area are likely to change in the future, and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. Life expectancy is a summary measure of a population's health. It may be influenced by premature mortalities and health inequalities. Data source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Acknowledgements

https://data.gov.uk/dataset/27cb8743-a623-424c-b097-12c398697828/life-expectancy

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Inspiration

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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.