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.

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.

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 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).

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 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 dataset illustrates the 200 tallest high-rise buildings in the world. Also shown are the height in meters and feet, the year it started, the city, the rank, the inverse rank to be used for mapping only, the building name, and the number of floors.

The poly shapefile of lower 48 state counties shows the number of primary healthcare professionals, their shortage and an estimate of population that is below 200% poverty level, as well percent population below 200% poverty level. Note that the original data from HRSA of DHHS has over 34000 records, where each county may have more than one designated primary health care areas. To georeference this data of 34000 records to 3,111 counties in lower 48 state, crosstab was carried out such that for each county, the estimated percent population below poverty level was averaged for each county while the number of FTE (Full Time Equivalent) health care professionals and the shortage of FTEs was summed for each county.

This dataset includes over 200 US military cemeteries, compiled using information from the National Cemetery Administration, National Park Service, American Battlefield Commission, US Army, state veterans departments, and others. For the majority of cemeteries, within the description field, you will find a link to the cemetery's web page along with the physical address. This data was found online at http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/132750/an/0/page/0#132750.

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.

This data reports the number of Fixed Wireless high-speed lines by state as of June 30, 2006 (Over 200 kbps in at least one direction. I have also calculated per capita equivalents using U.S. Census estimates of population for 2006. The figures on high-speed lines come from Table 2.6 from the URL link below. Original Source: Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30, 2006 (January 2007). States with no data withheld information for confidentiality reasons.

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.

This data reports the number of Wireline high-speed lines by state as of June 30, 2006 (Over 200 kbps in at least one direction. I have also calculated per capita equivalents using U.S. Census estimates of population for 2006. The figures on high-speed lines come from Table 2.6 from the URL link below. Original Source: Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30, 2006 (January 2007). States with no data withheld information for confidentiality reasons.

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 dataset displays the amount of hydroelectric power that was consumed on a nation level. The dataset covers the time period spanning from 1980 to 2005. Data is available for 200+ countries. This data is scalled at: Billion Kilowatt hours. Data references:Energy Information Administration International Energy Annual 2005 Table Posted: September 11, 2007 Next Update: June 2008 This data is available directly at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html Access Date: November 8, 2007.

This data is total high speed lines (Over 200 kbps in at least one direction)by state for the years 2002 through 2007 (month of June) The information was extracted from Table 10 in the report in the URL link below. I have also calculated per capita high speed lines for each year using U.S. Census estimates of population for 2002-2007.

In the past four centuries, the population of the Thirteen Colonies and United States of America has grown from a recorded 350 people around the Jamestown colony in Virginia in 1610, to an estimated 346 million in 2025. While the fertility rate has now dropped well below replacement level, and the population is on track to go into a natural decline in the 2040s, projected high net immigration rates mean the population will continue growing well into the next century, crossing the 400 million mark in the 2070s. Indigenous population Early population figures for the Thirteen Colonies and United States come with certain caveats. Official records excluded the indigenous population, and they generally remained excluded until the late 1800s. In 1500, in the first decade of European colonization of the Americas, the native population living within the modern U.S. borders was believed to be around 1.9 million people. The spread of Old World diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, to biologically defenseless populations in the New World then wreaked havoc across the continent, often wiping out large portions of the population in areas that had not yet made contact with Europeans. By the time of Jamestown's founding in 1607, it is believed the native population within current U.S. borders had dropped by almost 60 percent. As the U.S. expanded, indigenous populations were largely still excluded from population figures as they were driven westward, however taxpaying Natives were included in the census from 1870 to 1890, before all were included thereafter. It should be noted that estimates for indigenous populations in the Americas vary significantly by source and time period. Migration and expansion fuels population growth The arrival of European settlers and African slaves was the key driver of population growth in North America in the 17th century. Settlers from Britain were the dominant group in the Thirteen Colonies, before settlers from elsewhere in Europe, particularly Germany and Ireland, made a large impact in the mid-19th century. By the end of the 19th century, improvements in transport technology and increasing economic opportunities saw migration to the United States increase further, particularly from southern and Eastern Europe, and in the first decade of the 1900s the number of migrants to the U.S. exceeded one million people in some years. It is also estimated that almost 400,000 African slaves were transported directly across the Atlantic to mainland North America between 1500 and 1866 (although the importation of slaves was abolished in 1808). Blacks made up a much larger share of the population before slavery's abolition. Twentieth and twenty-first century The U.S. population has grown steadily since 1900, reaching one hundred million in the 1910s, two hundred million in the 1960s, and three hundred million in 2007. Since WWII, the U.S. has established itself as the world's foremost superpower, with the world's largest economy, and most powerful military. This growth in prosperity has been accompanied by increases in living standards, particularly through medical advances, infrastructure improvements, clean water accessibility. These have all contributed to higher infant and child survival rates, as well as an increase in life expectancy (doubling from roughly 40 to 80 years in the past 150 years), which have also played a large part in population growth. As fertility rates decline and increases in life expectancy slows, migration remains the largest factor in population growth. Since the 1960s, Latin America has now become the most common origin for migrants in the U.S., while immigration rates from Asia have also increased significantly. It remains to be seen how immigration restrictions of the current administration affect long-term population projections for the United States.

This data reports the number of ADSL high-peed lines by state as of June 30, 2006 (Over 200 kbps in at least one direction. I have also calculated per capita equivalents using U.S. Census estimates of population for 2006. The figures on high-speed lines come from Table 2.6 from the URL link below. Original Source: Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of June 30, 2006 (January 2007). States with no data withheld information for confidentiality reasons.

This dataset displays the number of Research and development researchers in their respective countries. This data is on an annual time line, and was formed by: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. http://www.uis.unesco.org, Core Theme: Science and Technology. Montreal. The United Nations Statistical Yearbook is an annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics on over 200 countries and areas of the world, compiled from sources including UN agencies and other international, national and specialized organizations. The 50th issue contains data available to the Statistics Division as of March 2006 and presents them in 76 tables on topics such as: agriculture; balance of payments; culture and communication; development assistance; education; energy; environment; finance; industrial production; international merchandise trade; international tourism; labor force; manufacturing; national accounts; nutrition; population; prices; research and development; transport; and wages. The number of years of data shown in the tables varies from one to ten, with the ten-year tables covering 1994 to 2003 or 1995 to 2004. Accompanying the tables are technical notes providing brief descriptions of major statistical concepts, definitions and classifications. For publication information please visit https://unp.un.org/details.aspx?entry=B06SYH&title=Statistical+Yearbook+2005 Data Availability: http://unstats.un.org/unsd Access Date: November 29, 2007

This dataset displays the amount of loans received by each country from a foreign bank. This data is available on a quarterly level timescale, with data available for 200+ countries worldwide. This data is directly available at: http://devdata.worldbank.org/sdmx/jedh/jedh_dbase.html access date November 26, 2007.