Global levels and trends in mortality

The global increase of living standard, the improvement in health, and the consequent reduction in mortality over the last six and half decades are among the notable achievements of development. This report analyses worldwide mortality declines, according to the 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects. Life expectancy at birth for the world as a whole rose from 46.8 years in 1950-1955 to 70.5 years in 2010-2015. The proportion of the world’s population living in countries where life expectancy was below 50 years fell from 57.7 per cent in the early 1950s to 0.1 per cent in 2010-2015, while the share living in countries with life expectancy of 70 years or higher rose from 1 per cent to 55.1 per cent. Over the same period, the probability of dying in early childhood — that is, the number of deaths below age 5 per 1,000 live births — fell from 215.1 per 1,000 to 49.6 per 1,000.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being