A study by Imperial College London and the World Health Organization analysed lifespans in 35 industrialised countries. It predicted all would see people living longer in 2030 and the gap between men and women would start to close in most countries.
The researchers said the findings posed big challenges for pensions and care for elderly people.
The US performs poorly and is on course to have the lowest life expectancy of rich countries by 2030. The study predicts an average age of 80 for men and 83 for women – roughly the same state Mexico and Croatia will have achieved. High inequality is part of the reason US life expectancy is to be lowest among rich nations
“And it is the first country that has stopped growing taller, which shows something about early life nutrition.” said Prof Majid Ezzati, one of the investigators in the study.
Between 2015 and 2030, life expectancy in the UK is expected to go from 79 to 82 for men and from 83 to 85 for women.
