Average Human Lifespan
The average human lifespan (life expectancy at birth) in industrialized countries is currently approximately 75-80 years, with projections suggesting it will reach 85-87 years by the mid-21st century. 1
Current Life Expectancy Data
Life expectancy at birth has roughly tripled over the course of human history, with the most dramatic gains occurring in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to reductions in infant and child mortality 1
Since 1970, continued gains in life expectancy in industrialized countries have been driven primarily by reductions in death rates among the elderly, particularly from cardiovascular disease and cancer 1
Significant disparities exist by race and ethnicity: As of 2021, the general US population has a life expectancy of approximately 75 years, while American Indians and Alaska Natives experienced a dramatic decline from 72 years in 2019 to 68 years in 2021—7 years less than the general population 2
Maximum Human Lifespan vs. Average Lifespan
While average life expectancy continues to rise, the maximum human lifespan appears to fluctuate around 115-122 years, with the longest documented lifespan being 122 years 3, 4
Mathematical models based on cell proliferation and migration activity suggest biological limits to human life span around 110-120 years, with some theoretical models extending to 126 years under optimal conditions 5
The human life span shows no sign of approaching a fixed biological limit based on demographic evidence, as both average and maximum lifespan have increased steadily for over a century 1
Future Projections
Extrapolation of past trends suggests life expectancy at birth in industrialized countries will reach approximately 85-87 years by the middle of the 21st century 1
Life expectancy at birth is unlikely to exceed 95 years unless there is a fundamental breakthrough in our ability to delay the aging process itself 6
Significant improvements in US life expectancy could be achieved through behavioral, lifestyle, and policy changes that reduce socioeconomic disparities, potentially allowing the US to reach health levels achieved in peer societies 6
Important Caveats
Current increases in life expectancy have not been accompanied by substantial compression of morbidity—people are living longer but spending more years with disease 6
The prevalence of chronic disease has increased markedly in recent decades, largely due to medical treatments that extend life for those with disease rather than preventing disease onset 6
Anti-aging interventions have not yet been implemented in humans, unlike in animal models where such interventions (dietary restriction, rapamycin) extend both healthspan and maximum lifespan 3