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Sunday, September 16, 2018

Life expectancy

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.

 

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