Life Expectancy Over Time: From 26 to 73 Years in Just a Few Centuries
Imagine living in a time when reaching age 30 was a major milestone. That was the norm for much of human history. In the Bronze and Iron Ages, life expectancy was around 26 years. In Ancient Greece and Rome, it rose slightly, to 28 years. Fast forward to the year 1800 in Western Europe, and the average was still just 30 years.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that life expectancy really started to climb. Thanks to better sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics, and access to food and clean water, the global average rose to about 48 years by 1950, and 73 years by 2025, according to Microtrends data.
Where You Live Still Matters
Life expectancy may be rising globally, but it’s far from equal. Where you’re born—or where you move—can have a big impact on how long you live. That’s clearly visible in the first map below, which shows life expectancy at the subnational level. These are provinces, states, or regions within countries, not just national averages.
Some regions stand out with life expectancy in the 80s, while others fall well below 60. Even neighboring regions can differ by a decade or more, due to differences in healthcare systems, wealth, education, public services, and even cultural norms around food, alcohol, and smoking.
What Influences Longevity?
Life expectancy isn’t only about medicine. It’s shaped by a combination of economic, social, and environmental factors. Some of the most important include:
Access to healthcare – early childhood care, preventative medicine, and emergency services
Income and inequality – wealthier areas tend to offer better living conditions
Education – particularly female education, which improves child survival rates
Diet and lifestyle – exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and obesity are all linked to lifespan
Environmental quality – clean air and water make a big difference, especially in urban areas
Regions with the Longest Lives
The second map focuses only on subnational regions where life expectancy is above 80. These are places where a combination of wealth, public health policy, and healthy habits is helping people live longer than almost anywhere else in the world.
You’ll find regions in Japan, Switzerland, Italy, South Korea, and parts of Spain making the cut. Some of these places benefit from universal healthcare systems, strong social safety nets, and diets that emphasize fresh vegetables, grains, and fish.
A Quick Look at the U.S.
While the U.S. isn’t the focus of these maps, it’s worth noting that life expectancy there also varies widely by state:
The national average is around 78.9 years
Minnesota is among the highest at about 80.9 years
Mississippi is near the bottom at about 74.6 years
That’s a 6+ year gap, within a single country, and county-level differences can be even greater.
Countries Still Facing the Biggest Challenges
Some regions are still far behind in life expectancy, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. According to 2023 World Bank data:
Central African Republic – 53.1 years
Lesotho – 54.3 years
Chad – 54.3 years
Nigeria – 54.7 years
Sierra Leone – 55.0 years
These figures are often linked to poverty, infectious diseases, limited healthcare access, and the impact of ongoing conflicts.
One Constant: Women Live Longer
Globally, women consistently outlive men. The difference ranges from just a few years in some countries to more than a decade in others, especially in parts of Eastern Europe. Biological factors, lifestyle choices, and occupational risks all contribute to this gap.
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