Mortality

In Latin America and the Caribbean, life expectancy at birth increased steadily between 1950 and 2019, owing to an unprecedented decline in mortality rates at the regional level from the 1930s onward (Arriaga and Davis, 1969). Socioeconomic development brought improvements in nutrition and urban infrastructure, with expansion of basic sanitation and access to safe drinking water, and enabled importation of medical and health technologies and adoption of modern health-care methods, such as the use of antibiotics and vaccines. These transformations led, over a period of just under 70 years, to a rise in life expectancy at birth for both sexes in the region from 48.6 years in 1950 to 75.2 years in 2019. In comparison, countries such as Sweden and the United Kingdom took 90 years (1886–1976) and 83 years (1903–1986), respectively, to increase life expectancy at birth by 25 years (HMD, 2022). In the region, life expectancy for women increased from 50.8 years in 1950 to 78.3 years in 2019, while for men it rose from 46.5 to 71.9 years over the same period.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Reduced Inequalities