Helmut Melzer
Life expectancy has increased rapidly since the Enlightenment. In the early 19. In the 19th century it began to increase in industrialized countries, while remaining low in the rest of the world. In recent decades, global inequality has declined. Since the year 1900, the global average life expectancy (graphics) has more than doubled and now stands at around 70 years.
A health indicator is life expectancy by age. 1845 still had significant differences: life expectancy for newborns was 40 years and 70 year olds 79 years. Today, this range is much smaller - from 81 to 86. This is because the chance of dying at a younger age has steadily declined. The "equality of life" has increased for all people.
