Life Expectancy

What is Life Expectancy

Life expectancy is a statistical measure that estimates the average number of years a person can expect to live based on current mortality rates. In simple terms, it tells us how long, on average, people in a certain population are expected to live from birth or from a certain age.

Here’s a simplified explanation:

Imagine you have a group of 100 newborn babies. Life expectancy tells you, on average, how many years each of these babies is expected to live. Let’s say the life expectancy is 80 years. This means that, on average, if you follow these 100 babies throughout their lives, you’d expect them, as a group, to live until they are 80 years old.

It’s important to note that life expectancy is a statistical measure based on the current mortality rates in a population. It doesn’t mean that every individual will live exactly that long. Some people will live shorter lives, while others will live longer lives. Life expectancy simply gives us a general idea of how long people are expected to live on average.

Factors such as healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, access to medical services, lifestyle choices, and genetics can all influence life expectancy in different populations. Improvements in these factors often lead to increases in life expectancy over time.