Key Takeaways
- Average life expectancy in the year 1800 was no older than 40 years globally, but longer for those who survived childhood.
- Modern life expectancies of around 79 years in the United States are largely due to improvements in infant mortality and public health measures such as vaccines.
In 2024, the average life expectancy in the United States was 79 years (76.5 years for males and 81.4 years for females). That’s a big jump from the year 1800, when the average life expectancy was no more than 40 years in any part of the world, though people who survived early childhood often lived longer. Lower child mortality rates and modern disease prevention have made a difference.
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Advances in Life Expectancy From the 1800s
From the 1500s until the early 1800s, life expectancy throughout Europe hovered between 30 and 40 years. This was due in part to infant mortality rates that remained high.
However, the improved health care, sanitation, immunizations, access to clean water, and better nutrition that emerged in the modern period and industrial age led to advances in life expectancy.
Lifespan vs. Life Expectancy
Lifespan is a measure of the actual length of an individual’s life. Life expectancy is the average lifespan of an entire population, which can be broken down for statistical purposes into population groups (such as age, sex, race, and income).
Diseases like rheumatic fever, typhoid, and scarlet fever still impacted life expectancy during the 1800s and early 1900s. But as science progressed and newly created vaccines offered protection against many of these and other illnesses, life expectancy began to rapidly increase.
Today, more than 50 countries boast average life expectancy figures of more than 75 years, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization. By region, the averages include:
- Western Pacific: 77 years
- Europe: 76 years
- Americas: 74 years
- Eastern Mediterranean: 68 years
- Southeast Asia: 68 years
- Africa: 64 years
Keep in mind that even in the 21st century, with all of the advancements in science, medicine, and technology, wide variations in life expectancy remain. For example:
- Higher life expectancies in Monaco, Hong Kong, and Japan average 86 years.
- Lower life expectancies in Chad, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic average 52.5 years.
- Average life expectancy in the United States was 79 years in 2024.
Here is a brief breakdown of average life expectancy from ancient times to the modern era.
| Era | Years | Average Life Expectancy |
| Neolithic Age | 10,000–4500 BC | 20–30 years |
| Bronze Age | 3300–1200 BC | 20–30 years |
| Ancient Greece and Rome | 510–330 BC | 20–35 years |
| Middle Ages | 500–1500 AD | 30-40 years |
| Early Modern Period | 1500-1800 AD | 30–40 years |
| Industrial Age | 1700–1900 AD | 40–50 years |
| Modern Era (varies) | 1900-present | 70+ years |
Ancient Through Pre-Industrial Times
Life expectancy estimates from ancient to pre-industrial times didn’t change all that much from the Paleolithic era. Though evidence in the form of historical records or fossilized remains is limited, the body of research suggests that life expectancy rates stagnated from the Neolithic era to the dawn of the Industrial Age.
Scientists note that the main factors limiting life expectancy were infant deaths and early deaths caused by malnutrition or disease. They were often linked to widespread poverty.
Pandemics and Life Expectancy
Pandemics like the bubonic plague of the 14th century that spread throughout Europe and Asia killed more than a third of Europe’s population. Similar losses were attributed to smallpox, which resulted in pandemics during the 11th century (attributed to the Crusades) and the 17th century (due to the immigration of European settlers into North America).
Life Expectancy in Antiquity
Until fairly recently, little information existed about how long prehistoric people lived. Having access to too few fossilized human remains has made it difficult for historians to estimate the demographics (statistical characteristics) of these populations.
Research suggests that the average life expectancy of Paleolithic-era people (12,000 years ago and earlier) was around 33 years.
Later studies of the Roman Empire, spanning the years between 200 BC and 400 AD, suggest just 50% of newborns would live to age 10. But life expectancy varied widely based on social status and other factors, with some people living to become grandparents.
An older study by scientists at Central Michigan University and the University of California, Riverside, suggested that longevity only began to significantly increase—past the age of 30 or so—about 30,000 years ago.
COVID and Life Expectancy
In the same way that the Black Plague reversed life expectancy gains during the 14th century, pandemic diseases like the Spanish flu (1918-1920) and COVID-19 have done the same in the 20th and 21st centuries. Other factors like drug overdose, suicide, homicide, and heart disease have also had an impact.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy in the United States declined two years in a row from 79 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020 to 76.1 years in 2021. It was the biggest two-year decline in life expectancy since the years 1921 to 1923.
The temporary decline was largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which accounted for 74% of the decline from 2019 to 2020 and 50% of the decline from 2020 to 2021.
Future Health Impacts on Life Expectancy
Human life expectancy has grown over time. However, so have trends that could halt or even reverse gains in life expectancy.
Researchers suggest the rise in obesity could lead to increased mortality, with one study indicating that severe obesity can lower life expectancy by 14 years. The World Health Organization notes 2.8 million deaths annually due to overweight and obesity. Complications of obesity that can increase mortality risk include:
Many of these aging-related conditions can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle choices such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, managing stress, and eating a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet and anti-aging diet).
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