The trend is clear, we are living longer than ever and in 2019 the highest average life expectancy was measured so far.
On average, a world citizen now lives to 72.6 years old. This is a dramatic difference compared to 1950. At that time, the life expectancy was, on average, 45.7 years old.
The development has been very positive throughout the world in recent decades, but especially in Asia and Africa. In Asia, the average life expectancy in 1950 was 41.1 years and in 2019 it was 73.6. In Africa, life expectancy was 36.5 years 70 years ago and in 2019 was 63.2.
If we go back to the time before industrialization, the average life expectancy was about 30 years in the world. This is according to estimates by historian James Riley. Infectious diseases then ravaged all corners of the world and about half of all children died.
Since then, the development has been unparalleled and today we have thus reached a new peak with an average life expectancy of 72.6 years.
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