A mortality analysis covering over 190 countries shows that the lifespan gap between males and females is narrowing.
Lifespan Gap Between Men & Women
Generally, people across the world are living longer. This occurs simultaneously as the gap between the lifespan of men and women shrinks.
According to the new study "Convergence and divergence in mortality: A global study from 1990 to 2030," global trends were identified. Upon focusing on a country cluster with the best outcomes, it was found that in 1990, the average lifespan of females was 77.17 years old, while for males, it was 72.23 years old.
In 2010, these ages increased to 83.10 among females and 78.37 among males. This means the lifespan gap between males and females narrowed by roughly 0.2 years.
According to David Atance, the study's first author and an economics and business management professor from the University of Alcalá, this gap has narrowed due to how male life spans are getting longer faster than females. Professor Atance adds that the mortality decline rate among women has reached slower.
The researchers also estimate that in 2030, all over the world, the average lifespan will be 86.54 years for females and 83.13 years for males.
Dr. Brandon Yan, a physician from the University of California, San Francisco, who did not participate in the study, explains that the study aligns with epidemiological trends that suggest that life expectancy worldwide is rising and that the gender gap is narrowing over time.
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Life Expectancy Trends
For the new study, the researchers monitored death rate trends across various countries and found which areas displayed the same tendencies as time passed. The data was taken from the United Nations Population Division, which covers mortality and life expectancy data for individuals from various countries and ages. The team looked into data from the years 1990 to 2020. They grouped 194 countries into clusters according to similarities in nine mortality-related indicators.
Such indicators included the average life expectancy at birth, 65 years of age, and modal age at death. The data helped group countries into five different clusters or convergence groups.
Professor Atance explains that the countries in each convergence group grow similarly because they present more similar longevity indicators. Based on the team's analyses, fewer differences appear among countries within each cluster as time passes.
Most notably, the one that covered Africa has the greatest improvement in mortality indicators. The authors note that this likely shows improvements in the HIV crisis and the conclusion of different conflicts across the continent.
Data has been suggesting since the 2000s that the lifespan gap between males and females has narrowed. Now, a new study has confirmed this and further indicates that this sex gap will keep checking. The team concluded this through the use of data to predict future patterns. The researchers predicted that the lifespan gap will decrease and overall life expectancy rises will continue until 2030.
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