Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPrehistoricPre-Industrial1800s to TodayThe Future
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Prehistoric
Pre-Industrial
1800s to Today
The Future
In 2022, the average life expectancy in the United States was 78 years (75 years for males and 80 years for females).That’s a big jump from 1900, when the average life expectancy for a newborn in the U.S. was 47 years.
Lower child mortality rates and medical advances that help prevent the spread of diseases, such as vaccines, have helped contribute to longer life expectancy. Even so, with longer lifespans come newer challenges—like cancers and Alzheimer’s disease—that limit how long the population at large can expect to live.
Jose Luis Palaez Inc / Getty Images
Prehistoric Life Expectancy
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 averagelife expectancyof Paleolithic-era people (12,000 years ago and earlier) was around 33 years.
In 2006, scientists at Central Michigan University and the University of California, Riverside, chose to analyze what is known as the “relative age” of fossilized skeletons found in archeological digs throughout Africa, Europe, and elsewhere.
Relative age is the comparison of one fossil to another fossil to determine which is younger or older. Using carbon dating and other techniques, scientists can estimate how long two individuals living in the same time period may have survived.
After comparing the proportion of those who died at a younger age to those who died at an older age, the researcher concluded that longevity only began to significantly increase—past theage of 30 or so—about 30,000 years ago.
In a later article published inScientific American, the researchers called the shift the “Evolution of Grandparents,” marking the first time in human history that three generations may have co-existed.
Lifespan vs. Life ExpectancyLifespanis a measure of the actual length of an individual’s life.Life expectancyis 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).Even in ancient times when life expectancy rates were low, an individual who avoided childhood mortality, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and serious injury could live well into their 50s and even possibly their 60s.
Lifespan vs. Life Expectancy
Lifespanis a measure of the actual length of an individual’s life.Life expectancyis 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).Even in ancient times when life expectancy rates were low, an individual who avoided childhood mortality, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and serious injury could live well into their 50s and even possibly their 60s.
Lifespanis a measure of the actual length of an individual’s life.Life expectancyis 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).
Even in ancient times when life expectancy rates were low, an individual who avoided childhood mortality, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and serious injury could live well into their 50s and even possibly their 60s.
Ancient Times Through Pre-Industrial Times
Life expectancy estimates from ancient to pre-industrial times haven’t changed 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.
Similar losses were attributed tosmallpox, which resulted inpandemicsduring the 11th century (attributed to the Crusades) and the 17th century (due to the immigration of European settlers into North America).
Widespread poverty also led to malnutrition and early death in ancient times in the same way as it does today.
Here is a short breakdown of average life expectancy from ancient times to the mid-18th century:
From the 1500s until around the early-1800s, life expectancy throughout Europe hovered between30 and 40 years. This was due in part to infant mortality rates that remained at 25% until 1800.
However, from the mid-1800s onward, estimated life expectancy at birth doubled every 10 generations due to improved health care, sanitation,immunizations, access to clean water, and better nutrition.
Even so, diseases likerheumatic fever,typhoid, andscarlet feverstill impacted life expectancy during the 1800s and early 1900s. But as science progressed and newly createdvaccinesoffered protection against many of these and other illnesses, life expectancy began to rapidly increase.
Today and the Future
However, the life expectancy path is always upward. In the same way that the Black Plague reversed life expectancy gains during the 14th century, pandemic diseases likeCOVID-19have done the same in the 20th century. 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 to76.1 yearsin 2021. It was the biggest two-year decline in life expectancy since the years 1921 to 1923.
Other researchers predict that lifestyle factors likeobesitymay halt or even reverse the rise in life expectancy.
Epidemiologist S. Jay Olshanky warns that in the United States—where two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese—complications like heart disease andtype 2 diabetescould very well reverse gains made in the first half of the 21st century.
Even, 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 theMediterranean dietand anti-aging diet).
How the Okinawa Diet Can Boost Your Longevity
Summary
Life expectancy has improved considerably since the 1800s, largely due to improvements in infant mortality and public health measures such as vaccines.
In 1900, life expectancy was only around 47 years. Today, the average life expectancy for someone living in the United States is around 78 years. This is a vast improvement over the average life expectancy for someone living in prehistoric times, which was only around 30.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy.Harvard Health Publishing.Why is life expectancy in the US declining?.Goldman L.Three stages of health encounters over 8000 human generations and how they inform future public health.Am J Public Health.2018;108(1):60–62. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304164Caspari R, Lee SH.Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern biology?.Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006;129(4):512–517. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20360Scientific American.The evolution of grandparents.Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Vögele J, Rittershaus L, Schuler K.Epidemics and pandemics—the historical perspective: introduction.Hist Soc Res. 2021;33:7-33. doi:10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.7-33Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.History of smallpox.Tulchinsky TH, Varakova EA.A history of public health.New Publ Health.2014:1–42. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00001-XHogan DP, Kertzer DI.The social bases of declining infant mortality: lessons from a nineteenth-century Italian town.Eur J Popul.1987;2(3-4):361-85. doi:10.1007/BF01796597Hollingsworth TH.Demographic study of the British ducal families. In: Eversley DEC, ed.Population in History: Essays in Historical Demography, Volume I: General and Great Britain. Taylor and Francis, London; 2017.Central Intelligence Agency.Country comparison: life expectancy at birth.National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row in 2021.Olshansky SJ, Carnes BA.The future of human longevity. In: Uhlenberg P, ed.International Handbook of Population Aging. Springer Nature; 2009:731–745. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8356-3_33Lichtenberg K.Reversing the decreasing life expectancy: a national health priority.Mo Med.2022;119(4):321-23, 333.Additional ReadingAngel, JL.The bases of paleodemography.Am J Phys Anthropol. 1969;30(3):427–437. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330300314Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Carrieri MP, Serraino D.Longevity of popes and artists between the 13th and the 19th century.Int J Epidemiol.2005:34:(6):1435–1436. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi211Griffith JP.Changing life expectancy throughout history.J Royal Soc Med.2008;101(12):577. doi:10.1258/JRSM.2008.08K037Hacker JD.Decennial life tables for the white population of the United States, 1790-1900.Hist Methods.2010;43(2):45-79. doi:10.1080/01615441003720449Storey R,Perinatal mortality at pre-Columbian Teotihuacan.Am J Phys Anthropol.1986;69(4):541-8. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330690415
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy.Harvard Health Publishing.Why is life expectancy in the US declining?.Goldman L.Three stages of health encounters over 8000 human generations and how they inform future public health.Am J Public Health.2018;108(1):60–62. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304164Caspari R, Lee SH.Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern biology?.Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006;129(4):512–517. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20360Scientific American.The evolution of grandparents.Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Vögele J, Rittershaus L, Schuler K.Epidemics and pandemics—the historical perspective: introduction.Hist Soc Res. 2021;33:7-33. doi:10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.7-33Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.History of smallpox.Tulchinsky TH, Varakova EA.A history of public health.New Publ Health.2014:1–42. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00001-XHogan DP, Kertzer DI.The social bases of declining infant mortality: lessons from a nineteenth-century Italian town.Eur J Popul.1987;2(3-4):361-85. doi:10.1007/BF01796597Hollingsworth TH.Demographic study of the British ducal families. In: Eversley DEC, ed.Population in History: Essays in Historical Demography, Volume I: General and Great Britain. Taylor and Francis, London; 2017.Central Intelligence Agency.Country comparison: life expectancy at birth.National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row in 2021.Olshansky SJ, Carnes BA.The future of human longevity. In: Uhlenberg P, ed.International Handbook of Population Aging. Springer Nature; 2009:731–745. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8356-3_33Lichtenberg K.Reversing the decreasing life expectancy: a national health priority.Mo Med.2022;119(4):321-23, 333.Additional ReadingAngel, JL.The bases of paleodemography.Am J Phys Anthropol. 1969;30(3):427–437. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330300314Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Carrieri MP, Serraino D.Longevity of popes and artists between the 13th and the 19th century.Int J Epidemiol.2005:34:(6):1435–1436. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi211Griffith JP.Changing life expectancy throughout history.J Royal Soc Med.2008;101(12):577. doi:10.1258/JRSM.2008.08K037Hacker JD.Decennial life tables for the white population of the United States, 1790-1900.Hist Methods.2010;43(2):45-79. doi:10.1080/01615441003720449Storey R,Perinatal mortality at pre-Columbian Teotihuacan.Am J Phys Anthropol.1986;69(4):541-8. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330690415
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy.Harvard Health Publishing.Why is life expectancy in the US declining?.Goldman L.Three stages of health encounters over 8000 human generations and how they inform future public health.Am J Public Health.2018;108(1):60–62. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304164Caspari R, Lee SH.Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern biology?.Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006;129(4):512–517. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20360Scientific American.The evolution of grandparents.Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Vögele J, Rittershaus L, Schuler K.Epidemics and pandemics—the historical perspective: introduction.Hist Soc Res. 2021;33:7-33. doi:10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.7-33Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.History of smallpox.Tulchinsky TH, Varakova EA.A history of public health.New Publ Health.2014:1–42. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00001-XHogan DP, Kertzer DI.The social bases of declining infant mortality: lessons from a nineteenth-century Italian town.Eur J Popul.1987;2(3-4):361-85. doi:10.1007/BF01796597Hollingsworth TH.Demographic study of the British ducal families. In: Eversley DEC, ed.Population in History: Essays in Historical Demography, Volume I: General and Great Britain. Taylor and Francis, London; 2017.Central Intelligence Agency.Country comparison: life expectancy at birth.National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row in 2021.Olshansky SJ, Carnes BA.The future of human longevity. In: Uhlenberg P, ed.International Handbook of Population Aging. Springer Nature; 2009:731–745. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8356-3_33Lichtenberg K.Reversing the decreasing life expectancy: a national health priority.Mo Med.2022;119(4):321-23, 333.
National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy.
Harvard Health Publishing.Why is life expectancy in the US declining?.
Goldman L.Three stages of health encounters over 8000 human generations and how they inform future public health.Am J Public Health.2018;108(1):60–62. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304164
Caspari R, Lee SH.Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern biology?.Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006;129(4):512–517. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20360
Scientific American.The evolution of grandparents.
Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281
Vögele J, Rittershaus L, Schuler K.Epidemics and pandemics—the historical perspective: introduction.Hist Soc Res. 2021;33:7-33. doi:10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.7-33
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.History of smallpox.
Tulchinsky TH, Varakova EA.A history of public health.New Publ Health.2014:1–42. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00001-X
Hogan DP, Kertzer DI.The social bases of declining infant mortality: lessons from a nineteenth-century Italian town.Eur J Popul.1987;2(3-4):361-85. doi:10.1007/BF01796597
Hollingsworth TH.Demographic study of the British ducal families. In: Eversley DEC, ed.Population in History: Essays in Historical Demography, Volume I: General and Great Britain. Taylor and Francis, London; 2017.
Central Intelligence Agency.Country comparison: life expectancy at birth.
National Center for Health Statistics.Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row in 2021.
Olshansky SJ, Carnes BA.The future of human longevity. In: Uhlenberg P, ed.International Handbook of Population Aging. Springer Nature; 2009:731–745. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8356-3_33
Lichtenberg K.Reversing the decreasing life expectancy: a national health priority.Mo Med.2022;119(4):321-23, 333.
Angel, JL.The bases of paleodemography.Am J Phys Anthropol. 1969;30(3):427–437. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330300314Beltrán-Sáncheza H, Crimmins E, Finch C.Early cohort mortality predicts the rate of aging in the cohort: a historical analysis.J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2012;3(5):380–386. doi:10.1017/S2040174412000281Carrieri MP, Serraino D.Longevity of popes and artists between the 13th and the 19th century.Int J Epidemiol.2005:34:(6):1435–1436. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi211Griffith JP.Changing life expectancy throughout history.J Royal Soc Med.2008;101(12):577. doi:10.1258/JRSM.2008.08K037Hacker JD.Decennial life tables for the white population of the United States, 1790-1900.Hist Methods.2010;43(2):45-79. doi:10.1080/01615441003720449Storey R,Perinatal mortality at pre-Columbian Teotihuacan.Am J Phys Anthropol.1986;69(4):541-8. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330690415
Angel, JL.The bases of paleodemography.Am J Phys Anthropol. 1969;30(3):427–437. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330300314
Carrieri MP, Serraino D.Longevity of popes and artists between the 13th and the 19th century.Int J Epidemiol.2005:34:(6):1435–1436. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi211
Griffith JP.Changing life expectancy throughout history.J Royal Soc Med.2008;101(12):577. doi:10.1258/JRSM.2008.08K037
Hacker JD.Decennial life tables for the white population of the United States, 1790-1900.Hist Methods.2010;43(2):45-79. doi:10.1080/01615441003720449
Storey R,Perinatal mortality at pre-Columbian Teotihuacan.Am J Phys Anthropol.1986;69(4):541-8. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330690415
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