Is global life expectancy rising?
As of 2023, life expectancy is 73 years: +41 years since 1900.
Why it changed
The gain came not from one breakthrough but from sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics, and better nutrition together. That number is only as good as the systems behind it — holding 73 years beyond 2023 means keeping the same funding and policy in place.
Source · Our World in Data CC-BY 4.0 (Our World in Data) Last reviewed 2026-06-30
See one like this every morning.
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What is the source for this number?
Our World in Data. Last reviewed 2026-06-30 — CC-BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
How has this changed since 1900?
+41 years since 1900. As of 2023, life expectancy stands at 73 years.
What still isn’t solved?
Worth remembering: the 73 years recorded in 2023 is not guaranteed to hold — comparable gains elsewhere have stalled or reversed once attention moved on.