Life expectancy in selected countries 2017

As of 2017, the countries with the highest life expectancy included Japan, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. As of that time, a new-born child in Japan could expect to live an average of 84.2 years. Around the world, females consistently have a higher average life expectancy than males, with females in Europe expected to live an average of seven years longer than males on this continent.

Increases in life expectancy

The overall average life expectancy in OECD countries increased by 10.6 years from 1970 to 2017. The countries that saw the largest increases included Turkey, India, and South Korea. The life expectancy at birth in Turkey increased an astonishing 23.9 years over this period. The country with the lowest life expectancy worldwide as of 2017 was Sierra Leone, where a newborn could be expected to live an average of 52 years.

Life expectancy in the U.S.

The life expectancy in the United States was 78.54 years as of 2017. Shockingly, the life expectancy in the United States has decreased in recent years, while it continues to increase in other similarly developed countries. Increasing rates of suicide and drug overdose deaths from the opioid epidemic have been cited as reasons for this decrease.