No #YOLO: Many are likely to live beyond 90 by 2030, studies predict
#YOLO is dead, because life expectancy studies show that your descendants are about to live a lot longer than you are.
Of course you’re only going to live once, but by 2030, it seems that we’ll have a new generation of children who are going to roam the earth and accomplish big things with more time than we do. In a study led by scientists from Imperial College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), average life expectancy is expected to rise in 2030 in many countries, with some even breaking through the 90-years ceiling.
Who comes out on top?
According to the large international study, South Koreans are foreseen to have the highest life expectancy in the world of 90.8 years for women, and 84.1 years for men. Researchers accredit this to several factors, such as low levels of smoking, good childhood nutrition, and accessible healthcare.
On the other hand, the United States will be expected to have the lowest life expectancies amongst developed countries in 2030, with men and women likely to live up to 79.5 and 83.3 years respectively, on par to lower income countries such as Mexico and Croatia. This can be attributed to the United States’ absence of universal healthcare, and factors such as high rates of homicide and obesity.
What now?
It looks like policymakers have to prepare for the future by implementing better healthcare systems to support the increasing ageing population. But for now, it looks like we don’t just have to live while we’re young – there’s plenty of time in the future for some living too.
Winnie Tan
Photos: Getty Images
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