The significant increase in life expectancy over the past 75 years has largely been driven by reductions in infant and child mortality, and has seen life expectancy from birth increase by 27 years between 1950 and 2024. However, this is not the only driver of increased life expectancy, as humanity has also got much better at prolonging life for adults. In 1950, 65-year-olds could expect to live for another 11 years on average, while this has risen to almost 18 years in 2024.
The notable dips in life expectancy are due to China's Great Leap Forward around 1960, famine and conflict in Asia (especially Bangladesh) around 1970, and the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s.
Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100
Characteristic
From birth
Age 15
Age 65
Age 80
1950
46.5
62
76.3
85.02
1951
47.1
62.5
76.3
85.01
1952
48.2
63.3
76.6
85.14
1953
48.8
63.6
76.6
85.15
1954
49.6
64.1
76.8
85.26
1955
50.1
64.3
76.9
85.29
1956
50.6
64.6
76.9
85.28
1957
50.9
64.7
77
85.34
1958
51.5
65
77.2
85.45
1959
49.3
64.2
76.9
85.4
1960
47.7
63.5
76.7
85.37
1961
50.4
64.6
77.1
85.53
1962
53.1
65.7
77.4
85.54
1963
53.6
65.9
77.5
85.58
1964
54.2
66.3
77.7
85.74
1965
53.9
66.1
77.6
85.69
1966
54.5
66.5
77.8
85.77
1967
54.9
66.7
77.8
85.8
1968
55.5
67
77.8
85.76
1969
55.8
67.1
77.8
85.82
1970
56.1
67.3
78
85.89
1971
55.9
67
78
85.92
1972
57.1
67.9
78.2
86.01
1973
57.6
68.2
78.3
86.03
1974
58
68.5
78.5
86.12
1975
58.3
68.6
78.6
86.17
1976
58.7
68.8
78.7
86.2
1977
59.4
69.3
78.8
86.32
1978
59.7
69.4
78.9
86.33
1979
60.2
69.7
79
86.39
1980
60.6
69.8
78.9
86.35
1981
61
70
79
86.41
1982
61.4
70.2
79.1
86.49
1983
61.6
70.3
79.1
86.47
1984
61.9
70.5
79.2
86.54
1985
62.2
70.7
79.2
86.52
1986
62.8
71
79.4
86.63
1987
63.2
71.1
79.5
86.71
1988
63.3
71.2
79.6
86.72
1989
63.8
71.5
79.7
86.78
1990
64
71.5
79.7
86.8
1991
64.1
71.6
79.8
86.82
1992
64.3
71.7
79.9
86.9
1993
64.4
71.7
79.9
86.85
1994
64.5
71.6
79.9
86.9
1995
64.9
71.9
80
86.93
1996
65.1
72.1
80.1
86.99
1997
65.5
72.3
80.2
87.06
1998
65.7
72.5
80.3
87.12
1999
66.1
72.6
80.4
87.1
2000
66.5
72.7
80.5
87.17
2001
66.8
73
80.6
87.28
2002
67.1
73.1
80.7
87.3
2003
67.5
73.2
80.7
87.31
2004
67.8
73.4
80.9
87.44
2005
68.2
73.6
80.9
87.44
2006
68.7
73.9
81.1
87.55
2007
69.1
74
81.2
87.59
2008
69.3
74.1
81.2
87.61
2009
69.8
74.4
81.4
87.7
2010
70.1
74.6
81.5
87.75
2011
70.5
74.8
81.6
87.82
2012
70.9
75
81.7
87.87
2013
71.2
75.3
81.8
87.96
2014
71.6
75.5
82
88.06
2015
71.8
75.6
82
88.07
2016
72.1
75.8
82.2
88.19
2017
72.3
75.9
82.2
88.2
2018
72.6
76.1
82.4
88.29
2019
72.8
76.3
82.5
88.36
2020
72
75.4
81.8
87.99
2021
71
74.3
81.2
87.71
2022
71.71
74.99
81.69
87.95
2023
73.36
76.65
82.74
88.49
2024
73.67
76.93
82.92
88.59
2025
73.79
77.06
83.01
88.64
2026
73.95
77.18
83.09
88.68
2027
74.11
77.3
83.16
88.73
2028
74.26
77.41
83.25
88.79
2029
74.41
77.52
83.33
88.84
2030
74.57
77.64
83.42
88.89
2031
74.72
77.75
83.5
88.93
2032
74.87
77.86
83.58
88.98
2033
75.02
77.97
83.66
89.02
2034
75.16
78.08
83.74
89.06
2035
75.31
78.18
83.82
89.1
2036
75.45
78.29
83.89
89.15
2037
75.59
78.39
83.97
89.18
2038
75.73
78.49
84.05
89.22
2039
75.87
78.59
84.12
89.26
2040
76.01
78.69
84.19
89.3
2041
76.15
78.79
84.26
89.33
2042
76.28
78.88
84.33
89.38
2043
76.41
78.97
84.39
89.42
2044
76.54
79.07
84.45
89.47
2045
76.66
79.16
84.51
89.51
2046
76.79
79.25
84.58
89.56
2047
76.9
79.34
84.64
89.6
2048
77.02
79.43
84.7
89.65
2049
77.14
79.52
84.76
89.69
2050
77.25
79.6
84.82
89.74
2051
77.36
79.69
84.88
89.78
2052
77.47
79.77
84.94
89.82
2053
77.58
79.85
85.01
89.86
2054
77.69
79.94
85.07
89.9
2055
77.79
80.02
85.13
89.94
2056
77.9
80.1
85.19
89.97
2057
78
80.18
85.24
90
2058
78.11
80.26
85.3
90.03
2059
78.21
80.33
85.35
90.06
2060
78.31
80.41
85.4
90.1
2061
78.42
80.49
85.45
90.13
2062
78.52
80.57
85.5
90.17
2063
78.62
80.64
85.55
90.2
2064
78.72
80.72
85.6
90.24
2065
78.82
80.79
85.65
90.27
2066
78.93
80.87
85.7
90.31
2067
79.02
80.94
85.74
90.35
2068
79.12
81.02
85.79
90.39
2069
79.22
81.09
85.83
90.44
2070
79.32
81.16
85.88
90.48
2071
79.42
81.24
85.93
90.52
2072
79.51
81.31
85.97
90.56
2073
79.61
81.38
86.02
90.59
2074
79.7
81.45
86.06
90.63
2075
79.79
81.52
86.11
90.66
2076
79.89
81.59
86.16
90.69
2077
79.98
81.66
86.21
90.72
2078
80.07
81.73
86.25
90.75
2079
80.16
81.8
86.3
90.78
2080
80.25
81.87
86.35
90.82
2081
80.34
81.94
86.39
90.84
2082
80.43
82.02
86.44
90.87
2083
80.53
82.09
86.49
90.9
2084
80.62
82.16
86.54
90.93
2085
80.71
82.23
86.58
90.97
2086
80.8
82.31
86.62
91
2087
80.89
82.38
86.67
91.04
2088
80.97
82.45
86.71
91.07
2089
81.07
82.53
86.75
91.11
2090
81.16
82.6
86.79
91.15
2091
81.25
82.67
86.83
91.19
2092
81.34
82.75
86.87
91.23
2093
81.43
82.82
86.91
91.27
2094
81.52
82.89
86.96
91.31
2095
81.61
82.97
87
91.35
2096
81.7
83.04
87.04
91.39
2097
81.79
83.11
87.08
91.43
2098
81.88
83.19
87.12
91.46
2099
81.97
83.26
87.16
91.5
2100
82.06
83.34
87.2
91.53
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The source gives life expectancy figures as the number of remaining years, which have been converted to the expected age of mortality for display purposes. For example, life expectancy at age 15 in 1950 was given as 47 years, which is displayed as 62 years (15+47).
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UN DESA. (July 30, 2022). Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 02, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/
UN DESA. "Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100." Chart. July 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed October 02, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/
UN DESA. (2022). Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 02, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/
UN DESA. "Annual Global Life Expectancy at Select Ages from 1950 to 2022, with Projections until 2100." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jul 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/
UN DESA, Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/ (last visited October 02, 2024)
Annual global life expectancy at select ages from 1950 to 2022, with projections until 2100 [Graph], UN DESA, July 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1460165/global-life-expectancy-by-age-historical/