Population Facts United Nations No. 2012/2 Department of Economic and Social Affairs ● Population Division April 2012 Towards global equity in longevity 1. The ability to enjoy a long life is a fundamental Africa and developing Oceania2 were the two aspect of human development. regions with the lowest life expectancies at birth in Longer lives are often healthier lives: life 1950-1955, and the same is true today. The aver- expectancy increases when morbidity and mortal- age length of life in developing Oceania had ity are postponed to older ages. reached 64 years by 2005-2010, but in Africa it was only 55 years. Longer lives are more productive lives: when survival prospects increase, people are more likely Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean saw to invest in their futures, such as through educa- rapid gains in longevity over the past 60 years, but tion. Education, in turn, leads to greater health further progress is needed in order to achieve lev- and longevity. els of life expectancy similar to those in the “more developed regions, excluding Eastern Europe”. Some evidence indicates that longer lives are happier lives: one study found that as longevity Eastern Europe’s experience has differed from that improved in the United States, increases in the in the rest of the more developed regions: progress number of years of happy life lived outweighed in longevity stalled in the 1960s such that life ex- increases in the years of unhappy life.1 pectancy in 2005-2010, at 70 years, was no higher than it had been 40 years earlier. _____________ 2. Despite substantial gains in longevity, survival prospects in some regions continue to lag far behind NOTES others. 1 Yang Yang, “Long and Happy Living: Trends and Patterns of Happy Life Life expectancy at birth for the world’s population Expectancy in the U.S., 1970-2000,” Social Science Research 37, no. 4 (2008): 1235-52. grew by 20 years between 1950-1955 and 2005- 2 Inlcudes Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. 2010, from 48 years to 68 years. Life expectancy at birth, selected regions, 1950-1955 to 2005-2010 85 More developed 80 regions, excluding Eastern Europe 75 Latin America and 70 the Caribbean 65 Eastern Europe 60 55 Asia 50 45 Developing Oceania Life expectancy at birth (years) birth at expectancy Life 40 35 Africa 30 1950- 1955- 1960- 1965- 1970- 1975- 1980- 1985- 1990- 1995- 2000- 2005- 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Source: World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. CD-ROM Edition – Extended Dataset in Excel and ASCII formats (United Nations publication, ST/ESA/SER.A/306). 3. The gap between the life expectancy at birth in a 4. As life expectancy increases, communicable region and the life expectancy in populations that diseases account for a declining share of the gaps in have achieved very low mortality rates describes longevity, while the share that is due to non- the degree of inequity in longevity. communicable diseases grows. By 2005-2010, 19 countries or areas had achieved Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa life expectancy at birth greater than 80 years. 3 and Eastern Africa would gain up to 22 years of Across these “longest-lived” populations, the av- added life expectancy at birth by reducing mortal- erage length of life is 81.4 years. ity rates due to communicable, maternal, perinatal Deficits in longevity relative to the “longest- and nutritional causes of death to equal the low lived” populations are largest in Middle Africa, rates in the “longest-lived” populations. In devel- Southern Africa, Western Africa and Eastern Af- oping Oceania and South-central Asia, these rica. At just 48 years, the life expectancy at birth causes are responsible for between 8 and 9 years in Middle Africa lags 33 years behind that of the of the total deficit in life expectancy. “longest-lived” populations. Despite a common perception of NCDs as Both developing Oceania and South-central Asia diseases associated with development, the longev- have 17-year gaps in longevity relative to the ity gaps caused by NCDs tend to be largest in less “longest-lived” populations, while longevity gaps developed regions. NCDs account for more than in Northern Africa and South-eastern Asia are 8 years of the longevity gap in Middle Africa, around 12 years. Western Africa and developing Oceania. In the Caribbean, South America and Central America, At just under 72 years, life expectancy at birth in NCDs cause between 3 and 4 years of the deficits. both Western Asia and the Caribbean lags about 10 years behind that in the “longest-lived” popula- NCDs are responsible for most of the gaps in tions. Longevity gaps are smaller for Central longevity between the more developed regions America, South America and Eastern Asia, rang- and the “longest-lived” populations. About 9 ing from 6 to 8 years. years of Eastern Europe’s 12-year shortfall in lon- gevity is due to excess NCD mortality. With the exception of Eastern Europe, life expectancy at birth in the more developed regions _____________ is high, with an average longevity gap relative to NOTES the “longest-lived” populations of less than 2 years. Life expectancy in Eastern Europe, how- 3 Including Australia, Austria, Canada, China-Hong Kong SAR, China- Macao SAR, France, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Martinique, the ever, falls nearly 12 years below that in the “long- Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, est-lived” populations. Sweden and Switzerland. Years of life expectancy at birth to be gained by reducing cause group-specific death rates to equal those in the “longest-lived” populations, 2005-2010 90 Average life expectancy at birth in the “longest-lived” populations = 81.4 years 85 Injuries 80 75 70 Non-communicable 65 diseases 60 55 50 Communicable, 45 maternal, perinatal 40 and nutritional causes Years of life expectancy at birth at expectancy life of Years a a ia c ca sia an pe Life expectancy at rica i nia s e rica f fr a A A ro A A ce n n E. Eur. u birth e n Africa n r r E l r rn Afric r O e te aribb e e g st C xcl. idd stern Afri h a as e M -e E uth Ame stern e ort opin Western Asia o W East N l th S ns, Ea Southe Central America io South-centralou Asia Deve S reg v e d re o M Source: Changing Levels and Trends in Mortality: the role of patterns of death by cause (United Nations publication, ST/ESA/SER.A/318). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs ● Population Division Years of life expectancy at birth to be gained by reducing death rates due to selected communicable diseases to equal those in the “longest-lived” populations, 2005-2010 14 6 5 HIV/AIDS Pneumonia Diarrhoeal diseases 4 3 2 1 0 Years of life expectancy at birth at expectancy life of Years . a a r ica ca ica ca pe ania i Eu o fr frica fri Asia Asi Asi . r A A A ce l n n u n r r . E E n O te e Amer cl er ntra st Caribbean h iddle th e a t ex ern M u ping -eas E u st o Western Asia s, a Wester Eastern AfricaNorthern Afr th So E So u Central America ion South-c Devel So reg ev d More Source: Changing Levels and Trends in Mortality: the role of patterns of death by cause (United Nations publication, ST/ESA/SER.A/318). 5. HIV/AIDS 6. Pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases Excess mortality due to HIV/AIDS was the Excess mortality due to pneumonia and diarrhoeal leading cause of the longevity gaps in both South- diseases produce large inequities in longevity in ern Africa and Eastern Africa. Southern Africa many of the less developed regions both because would gain more than 14 years of life expectancy of the large burdens of mortality they cause and at birth by reducing AIDS mortality rates to equal because those deaths are concentrated among chil- those in the “longest-lived” populations, while dren. Eastern Africa would add more than 5 years to its In developing Oceania, South-central Asia and average length of life. South-eastern Asia, as well as in all five regions Outside of Africa, the impact of HIV/AIDS on the of Africa, the longevity gap caused by pneumonia disparities in longevity is largest in the Caribbean is greater than one year. Middle Africa and West- and in Eastern Europe, accounting for shortfalls in ern Africa, in particular, would advance life ex- the life expectancy at birth relative to the “long- pectancy by reducing pneumonia death rates to est-lived” populations of 1.0 years and 0.6 years, equal those in the “longest-lived” populations: respectively. adding 4.7 years and 3.7 years, respectively. To close the gap in longevity due to HIV/AIDS Several strategies have proven effective in continued progress is needed to prevent HIV reducing death rates due to pneumonia: vaccina- transmission and to increase access to life-saving tion; exclusive breastfeeding in the first six antiretroviral treatment (ART) among those who months of life; improvement of nutrition; control need it. of indoor air pollution and provision of a healthy environment; prevention and management of HIV In many countries highly affected by HIV/AIDS, infection; and case management of pneumonia in HIV incidence is declining as a result of efforts to 6 prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and to the community, health centres and hospitals.