Stagnating life expectancy in the UK and US revealed

The USA has the lowest life expectancy of all G7 countries

According to an alarming ranking, the US has the lowest life expectancy of any G7 country.

70 years ago, people in America could count on it until they turned 68, with the country ranking 13th in the world behind Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Although the average person lives a decade longer today than they did in 1950, progress has stalled compared to other industrialized nations.

The US has since fallen to No. 53 in the world rankings.

Britain has also fared poorly, falling from 10th to 36th in a UN list of 200 nations.

Experts suggest the sluggish progress is likely due to rising health inequalities, which mean poorer social groups are dying earlier than the rich.

The chart shows how each G7 country performs in international life expectancy rankings each year from 1950 to 2020.  While Japan climbed from 45th to third place, the UK plummeted from 10th to 36th and the US plummeted from 13th to 53rd.  It is based on data from scientists at the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who have studied global life expectancy values

The chart shows how each G7 country performs in international life expectancy rankings each year from 1950 to 2020. While Japan climbed from 45th to third place, the UK plummeted from 10th to 36th and the US plummeted from 13th to 53rd. It is based on data from scientists at the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who have studied global life expectancy values

Countries like Japan have improved remarkably, moving up from 45th to 3rd in the world rankings.  Pictured: Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Mount Fuji

Countries like Japan have improved remarkably, moving up from 45th to 3rd in the world rankings. Pictured: Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Mount Fuji

Average life expectancy in the UK has increased from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 in the US respectively.  Pictured: Aerial view of Central Park in New York

Average life expectancy in the UK has increased from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 in the US respectively. Pictured: Aerial view of Central Park in New York

Scientists from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined global life expectancy values ​​between 1952 and 2021.

They paid particular attention to the G7 countries – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – a collection of countries with advanced economies that account for about half of global economic output.

They found that the US has performed the worst of all G7 countries for over seven decades.

While life expectancy has increased since the study began, similar countries have seen larger increases, according to results published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Average life expectancy in the UK has increased from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 in the US respectively.

However, these improvements have not kept pace with countries like Norway and Sweden, where people can now expect to live to 83.20 and 82.43, respectively.

A map showing the change in life expectancy between 1800, 1950 and 2015 illustrates the dramatic global divide

A map showing the change in life expectancy between 1800, 1950 and 2015 illustrates the dramatic global divide

The 10 countries with the LONGEST life expectancy

  • Hong Kong – 85.2 years
  • Macau – 85.18 years
  • Japan – 84.69 years
  • Australia – 84.32 years
  • Republic of Korea – 83.61 years
  • Malta- 83.36 years
  • Norway – 83.2 years
  • Switzerland – 83.07 years
  • Martinique – 83.05 years
  • Singapore – 82.86 years
  • The 10 countries with the SHORTEST life expectancies

  • Chad – 52.78 years
  • Nigeria – 52.89 years
  • Central African Republic -54.6 years
  • Lesotho – 54.69
  • South Sudan – 55.48 years
  • Somalia – 55.97 years
  • Mali – 58.63 years
  • Ivory Coast – 53.09 years
  • Guinea – 59.33 years
  • Eswatini – 59.69 years
  • Meanwhile, Japanese have improved remarkably, moving up from 45th to 3rd in the world rankings.

    The authors said Britain’s descent in the ranks had been prepared for decades, which included a rise in income inequality in the UK during and after the 1980s.

    Professor Martin McKee, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “This increase has also led to an increase in the differences in life expectancy between different social groups.

    “One reason life expectancy growth in the UK as a whole has been so sluggish is that it has declined among poorer groups in recent years.”

    dr Lucinda Hiam of Oxford University said: “The ranking shows that the only G7 country to perform worse than the UK is the US.”

    dr Hiam added: “In the short term, the government faces an acute crisis. However, a relative deterioration in the health of the population is evidence that all is not well.

    “It was historically an early sign of serious political and economic problems.

    “This new analysis suggests that the problems facing the UK run deep and raises serious questions about the path this country is taking.”

    Some health experts say the stall is the result of austerity measures in the NHS and social services.

    But others firmly dispute the claim that tight budgets have directly led to a decline in life expectancy, pointing to more people living with multiple health conditions.

    Rising obesity rates are also thought to be behind the trend.

    Bad flu seasons and fewer improvements in cardiovascular care were also blamed.

    Life expectancy ranking 2020

    rankingRegion, sub-region, country or territoryLife expectancy at birth (years)
    1Hong Kong85.2
    2Macao85.18
    3Japan84.69
    4Australia84.32
    5Republic of Korea83.61
    6Malta83.36
    7Norway83.2
    8thSwitzerland83.07
    9Martinique83.05
    10Singapore82.86
    11New Zealand82.74
    12Iceland82.58
    13Ireland82.47
    14Guadeloupe82.44
    15Sweden82.43
    16Italy82.4
    17Israel82.36
    18Spain82.29
    19French Polynesia82.22
    20France82.21
    21reunion82.1
    22Canada82.05
    23Finland81.87
    24Netherlands81.64
    25Denmark81.55
    26Austria81.5
    27Luxembourg81.43
    28Cyprus81.39
    29Germany81.15
    30Portugal81.06
    31Greece80.91
    32Taiwan80.89
    33New Caledonia80.83
    34Belgium80.79
    35Slovenia80.44
    36Great Britain80.43
    37Maldives79.88
    38Chile79.38
    39Costa Rica79.28
    40Thailand79.27
    41Bahrain79.17
    42Qatar79.1
    43United Arab Emirates78.95
    44Antigua and Barbuda78.84
    45Czech Republic78.58
    46Uruguay78.43
    47Estonia78.34
    48China78.08
    49Puerto Rico78.04
    50Croatia77.98
    51Lebanon77.8
    52Cuba77.57
    53United States of America77.41
    54Barbados77.39
    55Slovakia77.01
    56Albania76.99
    57French Guiana76.98
    58Poland76.94
    59Kuwait76.92
    60Panama76.66
    61Guam76.61
    62Sri Lanka76.39
    63Montenegro76.26
    64Saudi Arabia76.24
    65Bosnia and Herzegovina76.23
    66Curaçao76.1
    67Malaysia75.94
    68Argentina75.89
    69Turkey75.85
    70Hungary75.73
    71Aruba75.72
    72Latvia75.45
    73Mayotte75.41
    74Serbia75.41
    75Vietnam75.38
    76Romania75.35
    77Tunisia75.29
    78Jordan75.18
    79North Macedonia75.17
    80Lithuania75.07
    81American Virgin Islands74.94
    82Iran (Islamic Republic of)74.83
    83Cape Verde74.81
    84Brunei Darussalam74.8
    85Colombia74.77
    86Oman74.76
    87Algeria74.45
    88Trinidad and Tobago74.41
    89State of Palestine74.4
    90Mauritius74.33
    91Brazil74.01
    92Morocco73.92
    93Peru73.67
    94Bulgaria73.65
    95Seychelles73.53
    96Saint Lucia73.42
    97to the. People’s Republic of Korea73.27
    98Paraguay73.18
    99Dominican Republic72.89
    100Belize72.85
    101Samoa72.77
    102Georgia72.77
    103Bahamas72.68
    104Ukraine72.57
    105Suriname72.56
    106Belarus72.51
    107Libya72.47
    108Granada72.28
    109Armenia72.17
    110Ecuador72.15
    111Mongolia72.14
    112Syrian Arab Republic72.14
    113St. Vincent and the Grenadines72.13
    114Philippines72.12
    115Bangladesh71.97
    116Jamaica71.87
    117Guatemala71.8
    118Nicaragua71.8
    119Bhutan71.61
    120Honduras71.46
    121Russian Federation71.34
    122Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic)71.1
    123ElSalvador71.06
    124Egypt70.99
    125Tonga70.93
    126Micronesia (Federal States of)70.67
    127Western Sahara70.52
    128Cambodia70.42
    129Uzbekistan70.33
    130Vanuatu70.3
    131Solomon Islands70.2
    132Republic of Moldova70.17
    133India70.15
    134Mexico70.13
    135Kazakhstan70.03
    136Kyrgyzstan69.63
    137Nepal69.25
    138Iraq69.12
    139Indonesia68.81
    140Turkmenistan68.69
    141Laos People’s Democratic Republic68.5
    142Guyana68.49
    143Timor Leste68.48
    144Senegal68.01
    145Tajikistan67.99
    146Fiji67.92
    147Sao Tome and Principe67.79
    148Kiribati67.27
    149Eritrea67.13
    150Azerbaijan66.87
    151Burma66.8
    152Rwanda66.77
    153Gabon66.53
    154United Republic of Tanzania66.41
    155Pakistan66.27
    156Papua New Guinea65.79
    157Botswana65.65
    158Sudan65.61
    159Ethiopia65.37
    160South Africa65.25
    161Madagascar65.18
    162Yemen64.65
    163Mauritania64.53
    164Bolivia (plurinational state)64.47
    165Comoros64.17
    166Ghana64.11
    167Haiti64.05
    168Congo63.79
    169Malawi63.72
    170Uganda62.85
    171Namibia62.83
    172Djibouti62.69
    173Kenya62.68
    174Gambia62.61
    175Afghanistan62.58
    176Zambia62.38
    177Angola62.26
    178burundi61.57
    179Niger61.45
    180Mozambique61.17
    181Zimbabwe61.12
    182Go61.04
    183Liberia60.95
    184Cameroon60.83
    185Equatorial Guinea60.71
    186benin60.09
    187Guinea Bissau60
    188Sierra Leone59.76
    189Democratic Republic of Congo59.74
    190Burkina Faso59.73
    191Eswatini59.69
    192Guinea59.33
    193Ivory Coast59.03
    194mali58.63
    195Somalia55.97
    196South Sudan55.48
    197Lesotho54.69
    198Central African Republic54.6
    199Nigeria52.89
    200Chad52.78