When both sexes are combined, global life expectancy stands at about 73.5 years.

Today’s long lives would have been unimaginable to our ancestors. Around 1900, the global average life expectancy was just 32 years, largely because of high child mortality.

By 2021, it had more than doubled to 71 years, thanks to advancements in medicine, sanitation, vaccines and economic growth. The gains have occurred across all age groups: not only are children less likely to die young, but adults and the elderly are also surviving diseases that were once death sentences.

The rise has been remarkably consistent across continents. In 1800, no region had a life expectancy above 40 years. Today, even Africa, still the area with the shortest lifespans, has an average lifespan of over 60 years.

However, wide disparities remain. Nigeria’s life expectancy in 2021 was 30 years lower than Japan’s. Countries with lower averages also tend to have greater variation between rich and poor.

What drives longer lives?

The dramatic increase in life expectancy reflects public-health victories. Clean water, sanitation, vaccines and antibiotics have slashed deaths from infectious diseases. Improvements in maternal and newborn care mean more babies survive their first years.

Over the past half‑century, rising incomes and better nutrition have further extended life spans. Our World In Data emphasises that declines in mortality have been seen at all ages, not just among childrenourworldindata.org.

However, life expectancy stalled or even fell in some countries during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The World Health Organisation estimates that global life expectancy dropped by almost two years in 2020–2021 due to COVID‑19, reversing years of progress. Recovery has been uneven, with wealthier regions bouncing back faster than poorer ones.