After the massacre left behind by Covid 19, the matter of global health and longevity has finally come to attention across the world. The striking differences between developed and developing countries, the imbalanced ratio between newborns and elderlies, and the equivocal lack of advanced healthcare for everyone have raised concerns about life expectancy. After all, these are some of the major drivers of the total number of years an individual is expected to live. In addition to this, a new concept has also come up, known as healthy life expectancy which defines the number of years an individual will live a healthy life without suffering from any ailment.
So, what is life expectancy and why has it become a growing concern amongst multiple sectors on the global platform? Truth be told, estimating population and deciding the longevity trends greatly depend on life expectancy or the number of years individuals are expected to live. Since it’s quite a novice concept for many, we have prepared a detailed draft, explaining everything you should know about life expectancy, its importance in determining global health and longevity trends, and the factors influencing this major statistical factor.
Understanding life expectancy
Life expectancy is described as the average number of years an individual will live based on the current mortality rates. During the measurements, it’s important to consider that the mortality rate of the specific age groups will remain constant throughout the lifetime to ensure uniform values. Usually, life expectancy is calculated in two different ways, namely:
- Life expectancy at birth: This life expectancy tells the number of years a newborn is expected to live based on the current mortality rates, which are expected to remain constant throughout life.
- Life expectancy at other ages: Here, the life expectancy is determined based on the age-specific mortality rate assuming that the individual has already attained the age on which the statistical number is measured.
Apart from these two types, life expectancy can also be divided into two categories: cohort and period life expectancies. Cohort life expectancy tracks a specific cohort or group of people, like those born in the same year, and their actual life outcomes considering the changes in mortality rate with time. On the contrary, period life expectancy measures the number of years individuals will live in a specific year based on the current mortality rate and assuming the number remains throughout the life of the newborns.
Life expectancy VS healthy life expectancy
Since now you understand what is life expectancy, let’s have a brief look between the significant differences between healthy life expectancy and the regular life expectancy often used in calculating population, determining longevity trends, and estimating global health factors.
| Attributes | Life expectancy | Healthy life expectancy |
| Definition | It defines the average number of years an individual is expected to live the life. | It defines the average number of years the individual is expected to live a healthy life in good condition. |
| Focus | The main focus is to determine the quality of life, i.e., the total number of years to live. | This focuses on quality of life, meaning the number of years where the individual will be in good health and shape. |
| Accounts for | LE accounts for mortality rates calculated at various ages. | HLE concerns both mortality rates and the prevalence of any disability or illness. |
| Measuring method | Life tables are used that contain data for death rates of various cohorts of people in multifarious age groups. | Quality of life, disability, and illness are the three major metrics used for determining healthy life expectancy. |
| Impact on global health | Used in estimating population, longevity trends, and global health conditions | Used in determining the number of years spent being ill or disabled |
Factors influencing life expectancy
Four major factors are involved in calculating the life expectancy of every individual across the entire world. Studying these will help you understand the ways the drivers influence the measurements and can be improved further to stabilize life expectancy throughout.
Healthcare access
From the description of life expectancy vs healthy life expectancy, it’s evident that access to a proper healthcare system has a great role to play in determining the number of years a person can live. For instance, in rural areas, life expectancy is quite low compared to urban and metropolitan regions since people do not have proper access to advanced healthcare systems, whether it’s treatment options or emergency services. Similarly, people of underdeveloped countries like the ones in the African continent have extremely lower life expectancy since they do not have the privilege of receiving timely treatments or advanced healthcare opportunities.
Lifestyle choices
One of the most important influencing factors of life expectancy is the lifestyle choices. People who prefer to indulge in drugs, nicotine, and alcohol tend to live lesser as compared to those who refrain from these harmful addictions. Similarly, those who follow a routine lifestyle, like going for exercises and morning walks and living on a balanced diet have a higher healthy life expectancy than those who do not follow these routines.
Socioeconomic status
Life expectancy depends greatly on the socioeconomic status of an individual, which further comprises income stability, occupation, and social status. People with better occupations and consistent income flow can access an improved healthcare system, eat nutritious food, and live in better conditions, which will automatically increase life expectancy. On the contrary, people with no such income streams or unstable occupations tend to compromise with their health and life choices, thereby having a lower life expectancy.
Environmental factors
Last but not least, we have the environmental factors determining life expectancy, like pollution, access to pure water supply, temperature conditions, and many more. For instance, people who have been exposed to radiation in the air, like those in Japan have lower life expectancy than others.
Global variations in life expectancy
To understand what is life expectancy in detail and how it influences global health and longevity, below are some of the statistical figures you should know.
- High-income countries like the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland have a life expectancy of 80 years for most individuals.
- Countries like China, Brazil, and Mexico have a life expectancy of 70 to 80 years and they are categorized as middle-income countries.
- In low-income countries with poor healthcare access, the life expectancy is significantly low, almost ranging between 40 to 60 years.
- Regional disparities also exist in life expectancy, like South Asian countries having individuals living up to 78 to 80 years while those in African countries have a maximum lifetime of 70 years.
Trends and Future Projections
- Covid 19 has affected several countries, bringing down the life expectancy of most cohorts of people by 1 to 5 years.
- Healthier lifestyle choices, like sanitation, vaccination, and awareness programs have improved life expectancies in drawback regions.
- Deaths due to infectious diseases have declined in number since 1900, thereby increasing the overall life expectancy.
Enhancing longevity
Thanks to the numerous healthcare and awareness programs organized worldwide, individuals can now improve their lifestyles and take appropriate decisions. For instance, having protected sex, getting on-time vaccinations, and using protection against infections can help people live longer without succumbing to diseases. Apart from this, changes in lifestyle choices like following a vegan diet or working out religiously can help increase life expectancy.
Conclusion
With this detailed illustration, you can clearly understand what is life expectancy how it affects the global population, and the trends in longevity. From environmental factors like climate and pollution to healthcare access, several determinants are used to calculate the average number of years individuals are expected to live. So, these factors must be considered while finding the root causes for a sudden decline in the life expectancy rate or the increased mortality rate.
FAQs
What does it mean to live in expectancy?
Living in expectancy means being alive for the number of estimated years of life-based on the current age-specific mortality rate.
What is life expectancy geography?
Life expectancy geography is the number of years individuals will live based on specific geographical conditions.
What is the maximum life expectancy?
The maximum life expectancy varies from one group to another, like in Africa, it is approximately 70 years while for Japan and the USA, it can cross 80 years.
How long will Gen Z live?
According to recent data, Gen Z has a life expectancy of 75 years throughout.
