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Life Expectancy

News and resources on current life expectancy - lets see how it changes over time

Congratulations - you've survived another year... unfortunately your risk of dying goes up another 9% next year, and every year after that - that's why at the moment you can't beat the exponential risk of death.

Definition: period life expectancy = how long a new-born would live if today's death rates did not change. They should improve over time therefore this is not a prediction of how long a child born today will live for.

REMEMBER: most improvement in life expectancy over the last century has been due to reduced child mortality and combatting infectious diseases, rather than tacking ageing itself. Here's an interesting quote from New Methuselahs: "between 1860 and 1960, life expectancy at birth in the United States increased by 31 years, but the life expectancy for an adult who reached the age of 60 increased by only 1 year during that century. In other words, a century ago, those who made it to 60 lived roughly as long as we do, but the odds of making it to 60 were much worse."


Life Expectancy News

Ethel Caterham named world’s oldest living person at 115

Ethel Caterham named world’s oldest living person at 115

BBC - 01-May-2025

A remarkable journey through three centuries, from Edwardian England to surviving Covid-19

Ultra-processed foods linked to thousands of early deaths, study finds

Ultra-processed foods linked to thousands of early deaths, study finds

BBC - 28-Apr-2025

Diets high in packaged foods may shorten lifespan, though the exact cause remains unclear

Action needed to address men’s health crisis in England

Action needed to address men’s health crisis in England

Independent - 24-Apr-2025

Health leaders call for public input on a national strategy to close the life expectancy gap

Healthy lifestyle at 50 can significantly boost life expectancy

Healthy lifestyle at 50 can significantly boost life expectancy

Diabetes.co.uk - 13-Apr-2025

New study shows controlling key cardiovascular risk factors leads to a longer, healthier life

More Life Expectancy News

Life Expectancy Resources

Click on resource name for more details.

LongeviQuest (LQ)

Longevity company which unites researchers from all over the world to track the longest-lived people

Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Children: Why Japanese children have the longest, healthiest lives - and how yours can too

Amazon

Behaviours and tips that will help any parent achieve the results they want, written by Naomi Moriyama

The Science of Living Longer

Amazon

A Comprehensive Guide to longevity written by Dr Rer Nat Thomas Spaeter

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Amazon

Internationally bestselling guide to the Japanese concept of ikigai - the happiness of always being busy

Deep Nutrition

Amazon

Book about why your genes need traditional food written by Catherine Shanahan

The Blue Zones Kitchen

Amazon

Book from the Blue Zone series with 100 Recipes to Live to 100 written by Dan Buettner

More Life Expectancy resources

Life Expectancy Blog Posts

Are Wimbledon champions really getting older?
12-Jul-2024

Are Wimbledon champions really getting older?

Has this century seen extraordinarily long-lived Wimbledon champions, or are winners over 30 years of age the new normal?

If you stopped ageing today, how long would you live?
23-May-2024

If you stopped ageing today, how long would you live?

Not as long as you might think. For radical life extension we need to reverse ageing.

Exponential Increase in Mortality and Diseases
28-Jun-2023

Exponential Increase in Mortality and Diseases

The data and science behind the exponential growth in mortality with age

Can love defeat death?
13-Feb-2023

Can love defeat death?

Health and life expectancy are affected by love, sex and marriage

More Life Expectancy blog posts