What will life expectancy be in 2100?

What will life expectancy be in 2100? The average person born at the end of this century will live to around 82 years old, according to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 report. That is nearly a decade longer than today’s global average of 73.3 years.

But here is the thing. That number is just the global average. Where you live, how you eat, and whether you move your body all change the equation. People in Europe and North America are expected to reach life expectancies around 90 years by 2100, while parts of Sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to sit in the low 70s.

And some researchers believe the real number will be much higher than the UN predicts. A survey of 60 gerontologists published in the Journal of Gerontology found that the median estimate for life expectancy of someone born in 2100 was 100 years.

So what is driving these numbers up? And what stands in the way? Here is what the research says.

How much will life expectancy grow by 2050?

Global life expectancy will jump from 73.6 years in 2022 to 78.1 years by 2050. That is a 4.5 year increase in less than three decades.

The Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, published in The Lancet in 2024, broke this down further. Men will gain about 4.9 years and women will gain about 4.2 years between 2022 and 2050.

The biggest gains will happen in countries that currently have the lowest life expectancies. Sub-Saharan Africa will see the largest increases. This means the gap between rich and poor nations will shrink, and global health will become more equal over time.

Dr. Chris Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said the disparity in life expectancy across geographies will lessen. The gaps are shrinking, and the biggest increases are anticipated in sub-Saharan Africa.

Most of this progress comes from better public health measures that have improved survival rates from cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, and a range of communicable diseases. Vaccines, cleaner water, and improved nutrition in developing nations are all pushing the numbers upward.

What will the global average life expectancy be in 2100?

The UN projects a global average life expectancy at birth of approximately 82 years by the end of this century. But there will still be a wide gap between regions.

Here are the expected regional breakdowns for 2100 based on UN medium-variant projections and Statista data.

1. Europe and North America will reach around 90 years
2. East Asia and the Pacific will reach the mid to high 80s
3. Latin America will reach the low to mid 80s
4. South Asia will reach the late 70s to low 80s
5. Sub-Saharan Africa will reach the low 70s

The growth rate will slow down over time. Much of Asia will hit what researchers call “demographic maturity,” where the easy wins from reducing childhood mortality have already been captured, and future gains require tackling harder problems like chronic disease and aging.

The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health found that from about 1850 onward, life expectancy in the best performing countries increased at a rate of about 2.5 years every decade. That pace is expected to slow as countries reach higher baselines.

Could anyone live to 130 by 2100?

Yes, but it is unlikely to become common. A 2021 study published in the journal Demographic Research by researchers at the University of Washington used Bayesian statistical modeling to forecast the maximum reported age at death through 2100.

Their findings were fascinating.

1. There is a near 100% probability that someone will break the current record of 122 years, set by Jeanne Calment of France
2. There is a 99% probability someone will reach 124 years
3. There is an 89% chance someone will reach 126 years
4. There is a 68% probability of someone reaching 127 years
5. There is a 13% chance someone will reach 130 years
6. The probability of someone reaching 135 years is just 0.4%

The study found that even with population growth and better healthcare, mortality rates flatten after age 110. Someone who lives to 110 has about the same probability of living another year as someone who reaches 114. So getting past 110 is the real bottleneck, and getting much past 130 remains extremely unlikely.

The number of supercentenarians (people who live past 110) is expected to grow dramatically. The study estimates around 300,000 people will reach age 110 by 2080. With those kinds of numbers, the odds of at least one person breaking 130 become real.

What are the biggest threats to life expectancy gains?

The same Global Burden of Disease Study that predicts rising life expectancy also identified the threats that could slow or reverse those gains. The biggest risk factors are all connected to lifestyle.

1. Obesity and high body mass index. The years lost to poor health from high BMI increased by 11% between 2010 and 2023
2. High blood sugar and diabetes. Deaths from diabetes have risen steadily and are expected to keep climbing. A 2025 Lancet study forecasts more than 1.31 billion people worldwide will develop diabetes by 2050
3. High blood pressure
4. Poor diet, especially diets high in processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fats
5. Smoking
6. Physical inactivity

The Lancet study modeled different scenarios and found that the “Improved Behavioral and Metabolic Risks” scenario showed the strongest results. If nations could eliminate exposure to these lifestyle risk factors, the global disease burden would drop by 13.3% by 2050.

The obesity crisis is especially concerning. A 2025 Lancet study tracking 204 countries found that the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents increased by 244% in the last 30 years and is forecasted to grow another 121% in the next 30 years. Obesity occurring at younger ages means the children and young adults of today will carry obesity-related health risks for more of their lifetime than any previous generation.

Researchers at the New England Journal of Medicine warned that obesity could cause life expectancy to level off or even decline within the first half of this century if trends continue.

How does exercise change your life expectancy?

Regular exercise adds between 0.4 and 6.9 years to your life. A systematic review published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene analyzed 13 studies across eight different cohorts and found that physically active people consistently live longer than inactive people.

When the researchers controlled for other risk factors like body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use, the added life expectancy ranged from 0.4 to 4.2 years. The average gain was about 2.7 years.

All-cause mortality drops by 30% to 35% in physically active people compared to inactive people. That makes exercise one of the most powerful things you can do to extend your life.

A 2024 UK Biobank study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine tracked over 70,000 adults and found that at age 60, the most physically active people had a life expectancy of 95.6 years for women and 94.5 years for men. That is 3.4 extra years for women and 4.6 extra years for men compared to the least active group.

The same study found that adding just a 10 minute brisk walk each day added 0.9 years for inactive women and 1.4 years for inactive men.

Can walking really add years to your life?

Walking adds significant years to your life. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2024 analyzed data from over 36,000 Americans aged 40 and older.

The researchers found that the most active 25% of participants walked about 160 minutes per day at 3 mph. If everyone matched that level of activity, life expectancy would increase from 78.6 years to 84 years. That is an increase of 5.3 years.

The least active people stood to gain the most. If the bottom 25% of the activity scale matched the top 25%, they could gain up to 11 additional years of life.

Even small increases made a difference. Moving from the least active group to just the second least active group added 0.6 years. Moving to the third group added 3.5 years.

Walking works because it boosts something researchers call NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. A highly active person can burn up to 2,000 more calories per day from NEAT compared to a sedentary person. Walking keeps your metabolism running, your heart healthy, and your weight in check without the injury risks of intense exercise.

Does strength training help you live longer?

Strength training adds up to 4 years to your life. A large scale study found that people who strength trained for about 90 minutes per week had significantly longer telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes that shorten with age. Longer telomeres are linked to slower aging and longer life.

Beyond the telomere data, strength training protects you as you age by building bone density and muscle mass. Your bone density peaks between ages 25 and 30, then declines. By 40, the loss speeds up. Muscle mass starts dropping after 30, and you lose about 3% to 8% per decade.

This matters because falls are one of the leading causes of death and disability in older adults. Strength training builds the muscle and bone that protect you from breaking something when you fall, and it helps you recover faster if you do.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommend at least two strength training sessions per week. Research from the American College of Cardiology shows that exercise intensity is the main driver of reduced cardiovascular disease mortality risk, even more than exercise volume. So lifting heavier for shorter sessions beats light lifting for longer ones.

How does diet affect how long you will live?

Diet is one of the strongest predictors of lifespan. The Global Burden of Disease Study identified poor diet as one of the top risk factors driving the global disease burden. High intake of processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fats shortens life. A whole food diet rich in fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats extends it.

A 2014 study published in the journal Diabetes found that when researchers overfed two groups with the same number of extra calories, the group eating saturated fats gained double the amount of visceral belly fat compared to the group eating polyunsaturated fats. Visceral fat wraps around your organs and pumps out inflammatory molecules linked to heart disease and early death.

Protein intake makes a big difference too. A 2005 study found that people who simply doubled their protein intake, without being told to eat less or change anything else, naturally ate fewer calories and lost over 10 lbs in 12 weeks. Nearly all of it was pure fat. Protein burns 20% to 30% of its calories just through digestion, which is more than double any other food.

Fiber and resistant starch also play a role. A study comparing two groups eating the same total calories found that the group eating whole foods high in fiber and resistant starch excreted an extra 116 calories per day compared to the processed food group. Over a year, that adds up to over 5 kg of fat loss just from food quality, not quantity.

Will medical breakthroughs push life expectancy even higher?

Medical science is advancing fast, and some breakthroughs could push life expectancy well beyond current projections.

1. Anti-aging drugs. Rapamycin, a drug that acts on a protein regulating cell growth, showed improvements in immune, cardiovascular, and skin health in a 2024 systematic review published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity
2. Gene therapy. A 2024 study in the journal Cellular Reprogramming found that gene therapy increased mice lifespans by an average of 109% and reduced frailty in later life
3. GLP-1 medications. Drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic) are tackling the obesity epidemic, which is the single largest lifestyle threat to future life expectancy gains
4. Geroscience. This growing field targets the biological mechanisms of aging itself rather than treating individual diseases, which could lead to treatments that slow aging across all body systems

A 2024 Nature Aging study by S. Jay Olshansky and colleagues tempered expectations, however. They concluded that while life expectancy will keep rising, radical life extension in the 21st century remains unlikely for most people. The easy gains from reducing infant mortality and infectious disease have been captured. Future gains will be harder and slower because they require preventing or delaying chronic diseases of aging.

How can you personally maximize your life expectancy?

You do not need to wait for medical breakthroughs. The research shows that lifestyle choices account for a massive portion of your lifespan. Here are the evidence backed strategies.

1. Walk 7,000 to 12,000 steps per day. A 30 minute walk burns 100 to 200 calories and adds measurable years to your life
2. Strength train at least twice per week. Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses that build the most muscle and bone
3. Eat enough protein. Aim for 1.8 g per kg of bodyweight per day. A 90 kg person needs about 162 g of protein daily
4. Cut processed foods and swap them for whole foods higher in fiber and resistant starch. Think oats instead of cereal, potatoes instead of white rice, fruit instead of juice
5. Reduce saturated fat intake to under 20 to 30 g per day. Swap fatty meats for leaner cuts and increase your intake of fish, nuts, and seeds
6. Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity shortens telomeres, increases visceral fat, and accelerates biological aging across every body system
7. Get enough sleep. Poor sleep is linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline
8. Manage stress. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels and promotes inflammation, which speeds up aging

The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health found that countries can halve their probability of premature death (dying before age 70) by 2050 with focused health investments. The interventions they identified target the same lifestyle factors listed above.

FAQ

How long will the average person live in 2100? The UN projects a global average life expectancy of approximately 82 years by 2100. People in Europe and North America are expected to reach around 90 years, while Sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to be in the low 70s.

Is life expectancy increasing or decreasing? Life expectancy is increasing globally. It rose from 46.5 years in 1950 to 73.3 years in 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary drop of 1.7 years between 2019 and 2021, but the upward trend has resumed.

What will life expectancy be in 2050? The Global Burden of Disease Study forecasts global life expectancy will reach 78.1 years by 2050, up from 73.6 in 2022. Men will gain about 4.9 years and women about 4.2 years.

Will anyone live to 150? Almost certainly not by 2100. Statistical modeling from the University of Washington gives just a 0.4% probability of anyone reaching even 135 by the end of this century. The biological constraints on aging after age 110 make extreme ages highly improbable.

How much longer do active people live compared to inactive people? Active people live between 0.4 and 6.9 years longer than inactive people. After adjusting for other health factors, the average gain is about 2.7 years. The most active people in large studies show life expectancies reaching into the mid 90s.

Does exercise or diet matter more for longevity? Both matter, but diet has a slightly larger impact on total lifespan. The Global Burden of Disease Study ranked metabolic and dietary risk factors as the strongest modifiable factors affecting life expectancy. Exercise amplifies the benefits of a good diet and adds its own protective effects through improved cardiovascular health, stronger bones, and longer telomeres.

How many steps should I walk per day to live longer? Research suggests 7,000 to 12,000 steps per day is the sweet spot. Even a daily 30 minute walk (about 3,000 steps) adds measurable years. The biggest gains go to the least active people who start moving more.

How much does obesity shorten your life? Obesity reduces life expectancy by an estimated 5 to 20 years depending on severity and when it starts. Research shows obesity accelerates biological aging by shortening telomeres, increasing chronic inflammation, and raising the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

What country has the highest life expectancy? As of 2024, Japan, Hong Kong, and several European countries lead with life expectancies above 84 years. South Korea is projected to be the first country where female life expectancy breaks 90 years, possibly by 2030 according to a Lancet study.

How much does strength training extend your life? Strength training for about 90 minutes per week can add up to 4 years to your life based on telomere length studies. The CDC recommends at least two strength sessions per week for adults of all ages.

While future longevity predictions are fascinating, the training decisions you make today have immediate impacts on your health span and quality of life. Combining consistent exercise with smart nutritional choices, including understanding the role of low-calorie nutrient-dense foods, helps you maximize both lifespan and vitality. To build a fitness foundation that supports healthy aging and longevity, working with a personal trainer in Armadale ensures you’re investing in sustainable habits that enhance your healthspan, not just pursuing short-term results.