US has the LOWEST life expectancy of all G7 nations

The US has the lowest life expectancy of all G7 nations, according to an alarming league table.

Seventy years ago people in America could expect to live until they were 68, with the country ranking 13th globally behind the likes of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Although the average person now lives a decade longer than in 1950, progress has stalled compared to other developed nations.

The US has since fallen to 53 on the global standings.

Britain has also fared badly, dropping from tenth to 36th in a UN list of 200 nations.

Experts suggested the sluggish progress was likely down to the health inequalities widening, resulting in poorer social groups dying earlier than the wealthy.

The graph shows how each G7 country fared in international life expectancy rankings each year from 1950 to 2020. While Japan climbed from 45th place to third, the UK slumped from 10th to 36th and the US plummeted from 13th to 53rd. It is based on data from academics from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who examined global life expectancy ratings

The likes of Japan has seen remarkable improvements, moving up from 45th to third in the world rankings. Pictured: Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Fuji mountain

The likes of Japan has seen remarkable improvements, moving up from 45th to third in the world rankings. Pictured: Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Fuji mountain

The average life expectancy in the UK has risen from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 respectively in the US. Pictured: Aerial view of the Central Park in New York

The average life expectancy in the UK has risen from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 respectively in the US. Pictured: Aerial view of the Central Park in New York

Academics from the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined global life expectancy ratings between 1952 and 2021.

They paid particular attention to G7 nations — UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US — a collection of countries with advanced economies that represent about half of global economic output.

They found that over seven decades, the US fared the worst of all G7 countries.

While life expectancy has increased since the start of the study, similar countries have seen larger increases, according to the findings published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

The average life expectancy in the UK has risen from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 respectively in the US.

However, these improvements have failed to keep pace with countries such as Norway and Sweden, where people can now expect to live until 83.20 and 82.43 respectively.

A map, showing the change in life expectancy between 1800, 1950 and 2015, illustrates the drastic global divide

A map, showing the change in life expectancy between 1800, 1950 and 2015, illustrates the drastic global divide 

The 10 countries with the LONGEST life expectancy 

  1. Hong Kong – 85.2 years 
  2. Macao – 85.18 years 
  3. Japan – 84.69 years 
  4. Australia – 84.32 years 
  5. Republic of Korea – 83.61 years 
  6. Malta- 83.36 years 
  7. Norway – 83.2 years 
  8. Switzerland – 83.07 years 
  9. Martinique – 83.05 years 
  10. Singapore – 82.86 years

The 10 countries with the SHORTEST life expectancy 

  1. Chad – 52.78 years 
  2. Nigeria – 52.89 years 
  3. Central African Republic -54.6 years 
  4. Lesotho – 54.69
  5. South Sudan – 55.48 years 
  6. Somalia – 55.97 years 
  7. Mali – 58.63 years 
  8. Cote d-Ivoire – 53.09 years
  9. Guinea – 59.33 years 
  10. Eswatini – 59.69 years

Meanwhile, the likes of Japan have seen remarkable improvements, moving up from 45th to third in the world rankings.

The authors said Britain’s fall down the ranks has been decades in the making, which includes a rise in income inequalities in the UK during and after the 1980s.

Professor Martin McKee, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: ‘That rise also saw an increase in the variation in life expectancy between different social groups.

‘One reason why the overall increase in life expectancy has been so sluggish in the UK is that in recent years it has fallen for poorer groups.’

Dr Lucinda Hiam, of the University of Oxford, said: ‘The rankings show that the only G7 country to do worse than the UK is the US.’

Dr Hiam added: ‘In the short term, the government has an acute crisis to address. However, a relative worsening of population health is evidence that all is not well.

‘It has historically been an early sign of severe political and economic problems.

‘This new analysis suggests that the problems the UK faces are deep-seated and raises serious questions about the path that this country is following.’

Some health experts say that the stall is the result of austerity on the NHS and social care.

But others strongly contest the claim that squeezed budgets have directly led to a drop in life expectancy, and point out that more people live with multiple health problems.

Rising obesity rates are also thought to be behind the trend.  

Bad flu seasons and fewer improvements in cardiovascular treatment have also been blamed. 

Life Expectancy Ranking 2020
Ranking Region, sub-region, country or area Life Expectancy at Birth (years)
1 Hong Kong 85.2
2 Macao 85.18
3 Japan 84.69
4 Australia 84.32
5 Republic of Korea 83.61
6 Malta 83.36
7 Norway 83.2
8 Switzerland 83.07
9 Martinique 83.05
10 Singapore 82.86
11 New Zealand 82.74
12 Iceland 82.58
13 Ireland 82.47
14 Guadeloupe 82.44
15 Sweden 82.43
16 Italy 82.4
17 Israel 82.36
18 Spain 82.29
19 French Polynesia 82.22
20 France 82.21
21 Reunion 82.1
22 Canada 82.05
23 Finland 81.87
24 Netherlands 81.64
25 Denmark 81.55
26 Austria 81.5
27 Luxembourg 81.43
28 Cyprus 81.39
29 Germany 81.15
30 Portugal 81.06
31 Greece 80.91
32 Taiwan 80.89
33 New Caledonia 80.83
34 Belgium 80.79
35 Slovenia 80.44
36 United Kingdom 80.43
37 Maldives 79.88
38 Chile 79.38
39 Costa Rica 79.28
40 Thailand 79.27
41 Bahrain 79.17
42 Qatar 79.1
43 United Arab Emirates 78.95
44 Antigua and Barbuda 78.84
45 Czechia 78.58
46 Uruguay 78.43
47 Estonia 78.34
48 China 78.08
49 Puerto Rico 78.04
50 Croatia 77.98
51 Lebanon 77.8
52 Cuba 77.57
53 United States of America 77.41
54 Barbados 77.39
55 Slovakia 77.01
56 Albania 76.99
57 French Guiana 76.98
58 Poland 76.94
59 Kuwait 76.92
60 Panama 76.66
61 Guam 76.61
62 Sri Lanka 76.39
63 Montenegro 76.26
64 Saudi Arabia 76.24
65 Bosnia and Herzegovina 76.23
66 Curaçao 76.1
67 Malaysia 75.94
68 Argentina 75.89
69 Turkey 75.85
70 Hungary 75.73
71 Aruba 75.72
72 Latvia 75.45
73 Mayotte 75.41
74 Serbia 75.41
75 Viet Nam 75.38
76 Romania 75.35
77 Tunisia 75.29
78 Jordan 75.18
79 North Macedonia 75.17
80 Lithuania 75.07
81 United States Virgin Islands 74.94
82 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 74.83
83 Cabo Verde 74.81
84 Brunei Darussalam 74.8
85 Colombia 74.77
86 Oman 74.76
87 Algeria 74.45
88 Trinidad and Tobago 74.41
89 State of Palestine 74.4
90 Mauritius 74.33
91 Brazil 74.01
92 Morocco 73.92
93 Peru 73.67
94 Bulgaria 73.65
95 Seychelles 73.53
96 Saint Lucia 73.42
97 Dem. People’s Republic of Korea 73.27
98 Paraguay 73.18
99 Dominican Republic 72.89
100 Belize 72.85
101 Samoa 72.77
102 Georgia 72.77
103 Bahamas 72.68
104 Ukraine 72.57
105 Suriname 72.56
106 Belarus 72.51
107 Libya 72.47
108 Grenada 72.28
109 Armenia 72.17
110 Ecuador 72.15
111 Mongolia 72.14
112 Syrian Arab Republic 72.14
113 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 72.13
114 Philippines 72.12
115 Bangladesh 71.97
116 Jamaica 71.87
117 Guatemala 71.8
118 Nicaragua 71.8
119 Bhutan 71.61
120 Honduras 71.46
121 Russian Federation 71.34
122 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 71.1
123 El Salvador 71.06
124 Egypt 70.99
125 Tonga 70.93
126 Micronesia (Fed. States of) 70.67
127 Western Sahara 70.52
128 Cambodia 70.42
129 Uzbekistan 70.33
130 Vanuatu 70.3
131 Solomon Islands 70.2
132 Republic of Moldova 70.17
133 India 70.15
134 Mexico 70.13
135 Kazakhstan 70.03
136 Kyrgyzstan 69.63
137 Nepal 69.25
138 Iraq 69.12
139 Indonesia 68.81
140 Turkmenistan 68.69
141 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 68.5
142 Guyana 68.49
143 Timor-Leste 68.48
144 Senegal 68.01
145 Tajikistan 67.99
146 Fiji 67.92
147 Sao Tome and Principe 67.79
148 Kiribati 67.27
149 Eritrea 67.13
150 Azerbaijan 66.87
151 Myanmar 66.8
152 Rwanda 66.77
153 Gabon 66.53
154 United Republic of Tanzania 66.41
155 Pakistan 66.27
156 Papua New Guinea 65.79
157 Botswana 65.65
158 Sudan 65.61
159 Ethiopia 65.37
160 South Africa 65.25
161 Madagascar 65.18
162 Yemen 64.65
163 Mauritania 64.53
164 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 64.47
165 Comoros 64.17
166 Ghana 64.11
167 Haiti 64.05
168 Congo 63.79
169 Malawi 63.72
170 Uganda 62.85
171 Namibia 62.83
172 Djibouti 62.69
173 Kenya 62.68
174 Gambia 62.61
175 Afghanistan 62.58
176 Zambia 62.38
177 Angola 62.26
178 Burundi 61.57
179 Niger 61.45
180 Mozambique 61.17
181 Zimbabwe 61.12
182 Togo 61.04
183 Liberia 60.95
184 Cameroon 60.83
185 Equatorial Guinea 60.71
186 Benin 60.09
187 Guinea-Bissau 60
188 Sierra Leone 59.76
189 Democratic Republic of the Congo 59.74
190 Burkina Faso 59.73
191 Eswatini 59.69
192 Guinea 59.33
193 Cote d’Ivoire 59.03
194 Mali 58.63
195 Somalia 55.97
196 South Sudan 55.48
197 Lesotho 54.69
198 Central African Republic 54.6
199 Nigeria 52.89
200 Chad 52.78

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