Average life expectancy is set to increase in many high income countries by 2030, but in bad news for Donald Trump, the Americans will not fare better than Mexico and Croatia, grouped as middle income nations.
In the research led by scientists from Imperial College London in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, South Korean women are likely to live beyond 90 years old by 2030.
The results also showed that the United States is likely to have the lowest life expectancy at birth in 2030 among high-income countries.
The research team explained that the poor results in the United States are due to a lack of universal health coverage, as well as its highest child and maternal mortality and homicide rate among high-income countries.
The nation’s average life expectancy at birth for men is 79.5 years and women 83.3 years in 2030.
Life expectancy is projected to rise in all 35 industrialised countries covered in the study, with a probability of at least 65 percent for women and 85 percent for men, according to the study published Tuesday online in the medical journal The Lancet.
The research team calculated life expectancy at birth and predicted a baby girl born in South Korea in 2030 is expected to live 90.8 years.
There is a 90-percent probability that life expectancy at birth among South Korean women in 2030 will be higher than 86.7 years, the same as the highest worldwide life expectancy in 2012, and a 57-percent probability that it will be higher than 90 years, it said.
“Many people used to believe that 90 years is the upper limit for life expectancy, but this research suggests we will break the 90-year-barrier,” said Majid Ezzati, the lead researcher and a professor at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health.
“The fact that we will continue to live longer means we need to think about strengthening the health and social care systems to support an aging population with multiple health needs,” Ezzati added.
Projected female life expectancy in South Korea is followed by those in France, Japan and Spain at around 88 years, the study showed.
For men, the five counties with the highest life expectancy at birth in 2030 are South Korea, Australia, Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands, all at around 84 years, it added.
Source: NAN