When you buy through links on our website , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it works .

Human living expectancy is increase at a slower pace than it did in the 20th century , a fresh cogitation of 10 wealthy countries hints .

During the 20th century , improvements in public wellness and medicine result in " revolutionary life extension " : With each passing decennium , the average life expectancy at birth in some of the world ’s longest - live populations in high - income land increased byaround three years . These increases in life expectancy were initially drive by decrease in the death rates of baby , succeed by declines in the dying rate of heart - aged and older people . For instance , in the U.S. in 1900 , theaverage life expectancy at birth was 47.3 ; by 2000 , it had increased to 76.8 .

Older woman is shown staring out of a window

Humans may be reaching an upper limit on average life expectancy, a new study suggests.

But now , a new paper suggests that a similar explosion in life expectancy wo n’t occur in the 21st century .

The story , publish Monday ( Oct. 7 ) in the journalNature Aging , predicts that masses can only be expected to advance an additional 2.5 yr over the next three decades .

relate : COVID pandemic knocked 1.6 year off global life-time anticipation , study finds

a photo of an eye looking through a keyhole

The most likely explanation for this deceleration is that humanity is now set about the upper limit of its life anticipation , the authors of the study argue . In other Bible , with more multitude surviving to Old age , the principal risk component for death are related tobiological aging — the gradual accumulation of damage to cells and tissues that inevitably occurs over time . We know how to prevent child from die out of measles , but we ca n’t yet hold back the biological clock that keeps ticking once that baby reaches age 60 , 70 and beyond .

Tackling one age - related disease at a clock time — for instance , by trying to evolve curative forAlzheimer ’s diseaseorcancer — is like assign on a " temporary selection Band - Aid , " saidJay Olshansky , lead story study author and a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois Chicago . These efforts to develop better treatment — and , eventually , cures — can enable mass to endure long enough to live aging , but they do n’t tackle the ancestor government issue of aging , he told Live Science .

In their new study , Olshansky and colleagues investigated tendency in life expectancy between 1990 and 2019 . They canvas national lively statistic data from nine area with the longest - lived population — Australia , France , Italy , Japan , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland and Hong Kong . They also count at figure from the U.S. , as some scientist made specific prognostication about radical life extension service in the country , they write in the paper . The researchers then used this retroactive analysis to betoken future trends in life expectancy that may go on this one C .

a tiger looks through a large animal�s ribcage

The squad found that overall betterment in lifetime expectancy decelerated across these 10 commonwealth , particularly after 2010 . Current birth cohorts have a small likelihood of making it to 100 — females have a 5.1 % fortune , and male person have a 1.8 % opportunity .

Of tyke born in 2019 , those from Hong Kong were most probable to reach 100 , with females having a 12.8 % chance and males having a 4.4 % luck .

These findings indicate that , to proceed extending human life anticipation , more inquiry should be channeled into the subject field ofgeroscience , which look into the biology of ageing , rather than just the diseases associated with the process , Olshansky said . In this context , it is crucial to notice that life expectancy is different to life duad , which specify themaximum age to which any human being has ever lived .

a photo of burgers and fries next to vegetables

— Worldwide , the life - dyad crack between the sexes is shrivel up

— We ’re nowhere near give the maximal human life-time span , controversial field of study suggests

— Extreme longevity : The enigma to live longer may be hiding with nuns … and jellyfish

An artist�s illustration of a satellite crashing back to Earth.

Investigating slipway to slow or invert cellular ageing could help people continue " young " for longer , Olshansky suggested . For instance , scientists are developing drug that may be capable to slacken agingby pass cap at the last of chromosomes , known as telomere , which unremarkably dwindle over time .

" Now , we need to rivet on manufacturing the most precious trade good on Earth , which is sound life , " he told Live Science .

Ever wonder whysome people construct muscularity more easily than othersorwhy freckles come out in the sun ? Send us your question about how the human body work tocommunity@livescience.comwith the subject line " Health Desk Q , " and you may see your question resolve on the website !

a photo of a group of people at a cocktail party

Heat waves may accelerate the age procedure

old age of ' confusion and debate ' are over — research finds hormone therapy is good for woman ’s substance in early menopause

Hatnefer ’s heart scarab : An recherche ancient Egyptian gold necklace inscribed with the Book of the utter

A photo of the Large Hadron Collider�s ALICE detector.

An illustration of a satellite crashing into the ocean after an uncontrolled reentry through Earth�s atmosphere

A photograph of downtown Houston, Texas, taken from a drone at sunset.

an older woman taking a selfie

A photo of an Indian woman looking in the mirror

A group of penguins dives from the ice into the water