A new study suggests that humanity is approaching the upper limit of life expectancy. Despite advances in medical technology, genetic research, and more people reaching the age of 100, researchers have found that these developments are not leading to significant increases in overall lifespan.
“We have to recognize there’s a limit,” said lead author S. Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He noted that this finding may prompt society to rethink assumptions about retirement and financial planning for the later stages of life.
The study, published in Nature Aging, tracked life expectancy trends from 1990 to 2019 in countries with the longest-living populations, including Japan, Australia, and Switzerland. While life expectancy improvements are still happening, the rate of increase has slowed considerably, with the U.S. lagging behind due to issues like drug overdoses and inadequate healthcare.
Olshansky highlighted that even if all deaths before age 50 were eliminated, the life expectancy boost would only be around 1 1/2 years. Gerontology expert Eileen Crimmins expressed concern about the declining position of the U.S. in global life expectancy rankings.
The study concludes that while more people may reach 100 in the future due to population growth, aging itself will continue to limit further extensions in life expectancy.
