Yesterday the UN released its statistical annex for 2018 (available at
Life expectancy figures there for the top 35 countries are:
1
|
Japan
|
83.9
|
2
|
Switzerland
|
83.5
|
3
|
Spain
|
83.3
|
4
|
Singapore
|
83.2
|
5
|
Italy
|
83.2
|
6
|
Australia
|
83.1
|
7
|
Iceland
|
82.9
|
8
|
France
|
82.7
|
8
|
Israel
|
82.7
|
10
|
Sweden
|
82.6
|
11
|
Canada
|
82.5
|
12
|
South Korea
|
82.4
|
13
|
Norway
|
82.3
|
14
|
New Zealand
|
82.0
|
14
|
Netherlands
|
82.0
|
14
|
Luxembourg
|
82.0
|
17
|
Austria
|
81.8
|
18
|
United Kingdom
|
81.7
|
18
|
Andorra
|
81.7
|
20
|
Ireland
|
81.6
|
21
|
Finland
|
81.5
|
22
|
Portugal
|
81.4
|
22
|
Greece
|
81.4
|
24
|
Belgium
|
81.3
|
25
|
Germany
|
81.2
|
26
|
Slovenia
|
81.1
|
27
|
Malta
|
81.0
|
28
|
Denmark
|
80.9
|
29
|
Cyprus
|
80.7
|
30
|
Liechtenstein
|
80.4
|
31
|
Costa Rica
|
80.0
|
32
|
Cuba
|
79.9
|
33
|
Lebanon
|
79.8
|
34
|
Chile
|
79.7
|
35
|
United States
|
79.5
|
or as text
1 Japan 83.9
2 Switzerland 83.5
3 Spain 83.3
4 Singapore 83.2
5 Italy 83.2
6 Australia 83.1
7 Iceland 82.9
8 France 82.7
8 Israel 82.7
10 Sweden 82.6
11 Canada 82.5
12 South Korea 82.4
13 Norway 82.3
14 New Zealand 82.0
14 Netherlands 82.0
14 Luxembourg 82.0
17 Austria 81.8
18 United Kingdom 81.7
18 Andorra 81.7
20 Ireland 81.6
21 Finland 81.5
22 Portugal 81.4
22 Greece 81.4
24 Belgium 81.3
25 Germany 81.2
26 Slovenia 81.1
27 Malta 81.0
28 Denmark 80.9
29 Cyprus 80.7
30 Liechtenstein 80.4
31 Costa Rica 80.0
32 Cuba 79.9
33 Lebanon 79.8
34 Chile 79.7
35 United States 79.5
For the last few years the US has been at #35. I've previously predicted, when it reached #24, that it had stabilized. Not sure now.
Note the number of poorer countries where people have longer lives than we do.
We don't think of life expectancy as a vital sign of a country (as opposed to say temperature of a person as an individual vital sign) but we are 4.4 years behind Japan. If some had a temperature of 41.4 degrees celsius we'd be very concerned (normal is 37). If we eradicated heart disease as a cause of death, we still wouldn't be the longest lived nation! (see Arias, E., M. Heron and B. Tejada-Vera (2013). "United States life tables eliminating certain causes of death, 1999-2001." National vital statistics reports 61(9): 1-128.) So we are behind big time. In the early 1950s we were in the top 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment