Life expectancy around the world: People are living longer again
Life expectancy around the world has increased, returning to pre-coronavirus levels. Women live an average of 76.3 years and men 71.5, according to a series of studies published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.
“The significant increase in the aging population and changing risk factors have opened a new era of global health challenges,” said Christopher Murray of the University of Washington in Seattle. The team of researchers evaluated a total of more than 300,000 data sources. Based on data for 2023, estimates were made for 204 countries and territories.
Since 1950, life expectancy for women and men, according to these studies, has increased by more than 20 years. By 2050, life expectancy is expected to increase by almost five more years, so the positive trend will continue.
The rich live longer than the poor
Life expectancy, however, varies across regions – the differences (in relation to both sexes) are around 83 years in countries with high average wages and 62 years in sub-Saharan African countries. In Germany, life expectancy for women is 83.5 years, while for men it is 78.9 years (based on data from 2024).
While mortality rates are generally falling, there is an increase in deaths among young people in North and South America, mainly due to suicide and drug and alcohol consumption. Globally, the most common causes of death – just like before the Corona pandemic – are disorders of the cardiovascular system, cerebral hemorrhages and chronic lung disease COPD.
Risk factors
The researchers looked not only at deaths, but also at the years people live with disabilities. Together with the years lost due to premature death, these are known as Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Between 1990 and 2023, the burden of disease and disability, measured in DALYs per capita, fell by about 36 percent.
Murray’s team also looked at 88 factors that could influence disease, as nearly half of DALYs were related to such factors. The risk factors with the highest DALY rates in 2023 were: high blood pressure, air pollution with fine particles, smoking, high blood sugar, low birth weight, obesity (a high body-mass-index (BMI)), and high LDL cholesterol.