Global life expectancy increases by five years

Global life expectancy has increased by five years since 2000, the fastest increase since the 1960s, according to new data published by WHO.1

Global life expectancy for children born in 2015 was 71.4 years, but there were stark differences between countries. The report showed that newborns in 29 countries—all of them high income—had an average life expectancy of 80 years or more, while newborns in 22 others—all of them in sub-Saharan Africa—had life expectancies of less than 60 years.

Japan had the highest life expectancy in the world with 83.7 years for both sexes, followed by Switzerland with 83.4 years, and Singapore, 83.1. The lowest life expectancy in …