In 1920 the average human life was about 35 years and in 2019 it was 73 years. And it's not just a matter of surviving childhood: a 30-year-old Englishman now lives 15 more years (up to 82).

 

In the last 200 years, people in every country in the world have made impressive advances in health leading to increases in life expectancy. In the UK, life expectancy has doubled and is now over 80 years. In Japan, health began to improve later, but the country quickly caught up with the United Kingdom and overtook it in the late 1960s. In South Korea, health began to improve even later, and the country made even faster progress than the UK and Japan; By now, life expectancy in South Korea has surpassed life expectancy in the UK.

 

Since then, life expectancy has doubled in all regions of the world.

 

In Oceania, life expectancy increased from 35 years before the health transition to 79 years in 2019.

In Europe from 34 to 79 years.

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• In the Americas from 35 to 77 years.

• In Asia, from 27.5 to 73.6.

• And in Africa from 26 to 63 years.

 

Globally, life expectancy increased from an average of 29 to 73 years in 2019.