Global life expectancy up 5.5 years since 2000: WHO

Apr 08, 2019 06:00 am

GENEVA Global life expectancy grew by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, warning though that unequal income and access to healthcare translates into far shorter lives for many.

The United Nations health agency also stressed significant gender differences in life expectancy worldwide.

On average, a child born in 2016 can expect to live 72 years, up from 66.5 in 2000, according to the annual World Health Statistics report.

However, statistics also showed people in low-income countries live 18 fewer years on average than those in high-income nations.

While most people who die in rich countries are old, nearly one in three deaths in poorer countries are children under five, WHO said.

At a global scale, girls born in 2016 are expected to live to the age of 74.2, while boys on average will make it to 69.8 years, the report showed.- AFP