Life Expectancy Surpasses Age 90 For The First Time

Based on data collected by the United Nations Population Division, the current average life expectancy on a worldwide level is 73.4 years old — or more accurately, 76 for women and 70.8 for men. This is the average age that a person born today can expect to live to, though there are many factors that can change one’s personal life expectancy, including which country you’re born in.

Recently, the average life expectancy for men and women who are “domestic life insurance subscribers” in South Korea was updated with arguably shocking results. Prior to this new data, the previous life expectancy in South Korea five years ago was 88.5 for women and 83.5 for men, which are already considerably higher than the world average.

However, the updated statistics are now giving South Korean women a life expectancy of 90.7 years, while men are still slightly lower but still at an impressive 86.3 years.

Average life expectancy for men (blue) and women (orange) in South Korea over time | *The Qoo*

This gives South Korea the highest life expectancy out of any country in the world, compared to the other top countries calculated by the United Nations Population Division.

The other countries with the highest life expectancies currently (average, female, and male) | *Worldometers*

This is the first time in history that the average life expectancy for any group of people has surpassed 90 years, and people reading this news seem to have conflicting thoughts about it.

For example, a high life expectancy doesn’t take into account quality of life, so living until 90 or beyond concerns a lot of people in regard to medical care being affordable later in life. And in countries such as South Korea where birth rates are plummeting, such a large difference in population between older and younger generations could lead to many economic problems.

Here’s what netizens had to say about this new data on a forum post discussing it.