As a whole, humans around the world are living longer. For the past century, life expectancy in most countries has increased due to advances in healthcare, agricultural techniques and decreased infant mortality.
However, despite being the biggest economy in Africa in the world, Nigeria falls short in terms of life expectancy. Using 2016 data from the CIA Factbook, the experts at HealthGrove found the top 50 countries with the longest average life expectancies — and Nigeria did not make the cut.
A couple factors might help explain this. Nigeria does not prioritize physical activity and nutritious diets the way many other countries do. The importance of these factors becomes remarkably clear when comparing the longest-living country’s lifespan of 89 years to Nigeria’s 53.
On the other end of the spectrum, Japan has seen one of the fastest increases in lifespan since the end of World War II — piquing the interest of many researchers. With an average lifespan of 82 years and a rank within the top 10 on the list, Japan’s longevity exemplifies the benefits of exercising, eating well and maintaining social connections throughout life.
The fact that Japan and many other countries spend less than the U.S. on healthcare per capita, yet see people living longer, is a clear indicator that the Land of the Free should do something (or a lot of things) differently.
Note: If data for longevity of males versus females was not available, only the average lifespan of the population is listed. In the case of ties, countries with the smallest difference between female and male life expectancy are ranked highest and then alphabetically. Here are the top 10 countries with the highest life expectancy in the world
- MONACO
Average Life Expectancy: 89
- HONG KONG
Average Life Expectancy: 84
Average Female Life Expectancy: 87
Average Male Life Expectancy: 81
- SWITZERLAND
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 85
Average Male Life Expectancy: 81
- ITALY
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 85
Average Male Life Expectancy: 80
- SPAIN
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 85
Average Male Life Expectancy: 80
- SAN MARINO
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 86
Average Male Life Expectancy: 80
- SINGAPORE
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 86
Average Male Life Expectancy: 80
- JAPAN
Average Life Expectancy: 83
Average Female Life Expectancy: 87
Average Male Life Expectancy: 80
- ANDORRA
Average Life Expectancy: 82
- ICELAND
Average Life Expectancy: 82
Average Female Life Expectancy: 84
Average Male Life Expectancy: 81
