“To promote physical and mental health and well-being, and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality health care. No one must be left behind.”
SDG agenda 2030
The highest increase in life expectancy between 1950 and 2015 was recorded in Central African Republic (∽24 years), followed by Lesotho (∽23 years), Equatorial Guinea (∽22 years), Nigeria (∽21 years) and Swaziland (∽20 years). Cameroon, Mozambique, Guinea, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo complete the all African top 10. Countries with an already large life expectancy therefore become smaller while those countries with large populations and major improvements are the largest in these images. In absolute years (life expectancy growth x population) India is leading the table with more than 10 billion extra life years, followed by China, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and the USA.
Overall the 2018 Human Development Report (HDR) reported 11 countries with a life expectancy of less than 60 years. All of them are in Africa. The Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and Chad are among those with a life expectancy of below 55 years.
