Australia’s life expectancy has risen to third-highest in the world

A toddler born in Australia right this moment is predicted to stay till the age of 84.3, giving the nation the third-highest life expectancy on this planet behind Monaco and Japan. The enhance is because of its early covid-19 containment and high-performing healthcare system

By Alice Klein

Australia’s life expectancy has jumped to third-highest on this planet, up from sixth place final yr, due to its early containment of covid-19.

A woman born in Australia right this moment is predicted to stay to the age of 85.4 and a boy to 81.3, in line with the most recent figures launched by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), that are primarily based on 2019 to 2021 information.

The mixed female and male determine is 84.3. This locations Australia in third spot behind Monaco and Japan, which have life expectations of 85.9 and 84.8 respectively.

Australia has climbed the ladder as a result of it is without doubt one of the few nations the place life expectancy has elevated throughout the pandemic, a spokesperson from the ABS advised New Scientist. Most different nations, together with the UK and US, have seen significant drops.

Australians have gained 0.4 years in life expectancy since 2019, whereas international life expectancy has dropped from 72.8 to 71.0 over the identical interval because of the impression of covid-19.

Australia’s covid-19 loss of life toll has been comparatively low – about one-fifth that of the UK and US compared per capita – as a result of the federal government shut the nation’s border in March 2020 and launched strict lockdowns to curb the coronavirus, says Timothy Adair on the University of Melbourne.

This isolation additionally lowered deaths from influenza and different viruses that travellers usually herald from abroad, he says.

Another cause for Australia’s excessive life expectancy is that its well being system “ranks quite highly across a number of areas compared with many other countries”, says Adair.

For instance, Australia was ranked primary in healthcare outcomes in a 2021 report by the Commonwealth Fund, a non-public US basis, that in contrast survival charges after coronary heart assaults and different measures throughout 11 high-income nations. The UK took ninth spot and the US got here in final.

However, Australia’s life expectancy might slip when the subsequent figures, primarily based on 2022, are launched, says Adair. This is as a result of the nation has skilled a surge in deaths from covid-19 and influenza since reopening its border in February, he says. “Preliminary analyses that some colleagues and I have done suggest life expectancy will drop by about 0.5 years.”

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