The life expectancy index allows you to assess its quality in a given country. The latest data from the World He alth Organization (WHO), ie the report "World He alth Statistics 2022. Monitoring He alth for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)", provides information not only about the countries with the best indicators in this regard, but also the worst ones. Find out which countries live the shortest life.

Contents:

  1. Which countries live the shortest life - African countries
  2. Which countries have the shortest living time - Lesotho - 52.9
  3. Which countries live the shortest life - Central African Republic - 53
  4. In which countries the life is the shortest - Sierra Leone - 53.1
  5. In which countries the life is the shortest - Chad - 54.3
  6. In which countries the life is the shortest - Ivory Coast - 54.6
  7. In which countries the life is the shortest - Nigeria - 55.2
  8. In which countries the life is the shortest - Somalia - 55.4
  9. In which countries the life is the shortest - Swaziland (Eswatini) - 57.7
  10. In which countries the life is the shortest - Mali - 58
  11. In which countries the life is the shortest - Cameroon - 58.1
  12. Where in Europe is life the shortest?

Many factors contribute to the extension of life in different countries. First of all, it is related to economic development, we alth, education, the socio-political situation, and above all, an efficient he alth service.

Which countries live the shortest life - African countries

In the case of Africa, virtually all of these factors negatively affect life expectancy. It is estimated that nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africans do not have access to potable water. As a result, the fluids consumed are drawn from streams or even channels that are contaminated with faeces and chemicals. This leads to frequent diarrheal infections, nematodes, typhoid and cholera.

Access to qualified he alth care is limited - there is a lack of the necessary infrastructure, doctors and medicines. The HIV / AIDS epidemic is also a serious problem in Africa. In some regions, up to one in five adults is infected with HIV. Unfortunately, this is related to, among others with low awareness of safe sex.

Low value for life expectancy isit is also the result of the political situation - frequent wars, social and religious conflicts, accumulation of we alth by narrow castes of officials and politicians, and a very high level of corruption. As a result, the necessary money does not go to the needy, and even less is not allocated to the development of he alth care.

Another problem faced by many African countries is hunger. This is related to, inter alia, with unpredictable climate (rare rainfall). Although a lot of aid from other continents goes to Africa, much of it is in the hands of corrupt or dishonest officials or politicians who are solely interested in pursuing their own ambitions.

Below are the top 10 countries with the lowest life expectancy in the world. Unfortunately, all of them are located on the African continent.

Which countries have the shortest living time - Lesotho - 52.9

Lesotho is a small African country enclave in South Africa (ie completely surrounded by this country). It is inhabited by less than 2 million people, and it is worth mentioning that it is the only country in the world entirely located at an altitude of over 1000 m above sea level.

Why such a low life expectancy rate? The biggest culprit is the HIV / AIDS epidemic. In urban areas, up to 50% of women under the age of 40 are HIV-positive. Fortunately, the situation is slightly improving year by year.

Which countries live the shortest life - Central African Republic - 53

It is one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of around 5 million. The society of this country is struggling with numerous he alth problems, including the HIV / AIDS epidemic, malaria and measles.

Circumcision of women is also common practice, which in practice is a injury that is dangerous to life and he alth. A very poor economic situation, low development in many aspects, as well as omnipresent poverty unfortunately take their toll.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Sierra Leone - 53.1

This small country in West Africa has a population of approximately 6.1 million. The civil war of 1991-2002 was a great catastrophe in the modern history of the country. About 50,000 people died then, important infrastructure was destroyed, and 2 million people were left homeless. No wonder Sierra Leone continues to grapple with the aftermath of the war. There are also he alth problems, related for example to the Ebola virus.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Chad - 54.3

Chad is a fairly large country inhabited by over12 million people. It is regularly plagued by political turmoil - coups and internal struggles, which negatively affect the life of society.

Chad is also one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world. In urban areas, only less than half of the inhabitants have access to drinking water. In rural areas, the situation is even worse - there is often a shortage of basic food and everyday items.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Ivory Coast - 54.6

Another country in West Africa (around 25 million inhabitants) that, interestingly, has one of the highest GDP per capita in Africa. However, the situation in the field of he alth protection looks bad.

First of all, the country lacks doctors, moreover, it is struggling with the HIV / AIDS epidemic, and a common practice is female circumcision, which is carried out on up to one third of female citizens. As a result, many girls die young.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Nigeria - 55.2

It is the most populous country in Africa with a population of 190 million. Why the low life expectancy? Responsible for this, among others omnipresent violence and many negative social, political and religious conflicts phenomena.

The living conditions are also poor - only about half of the citizens have access to drinking water and adequate sanitary infrastructure.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Somalia - 55.4

This medium-sized country in East Africa (approximately 11 million citizens) has been facing a permanent civil war for years. As a result, much of important infrastructure, including he alth and sanitation, was destroyed.

Social and political unrests are still going on, including, for example, the disasters of drought or plagues of locusts. As a result, a significant part of the inhabitants is threatened with famine, and they do not have access to basic everyday products, especially proper medical care.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Swaziland (Eswatini) - 57.7

A small country in southern Africa is home to less than 1.5 million people. While it is doing better and better economically, there is much to be done in the area of ​​he alth. It is estimated that Swaziland has the highest percentage of citizens, i.e. about a quarter of adults, affected by the HIV / AIDS epidemic. In addition, there is another disease that may be surprising from a European perspective, namely tuberculosis. Up to a fifth of the death rate in the country is associated with this condition.

Which countries have the shortest living time -Mali - 58

This fairly large country is inhabited by approximately 19 million people. The low life expectancy is mainly due to widespread poverty and limited access to he alth care. There is a lack of drugs or the necessary sanitary infrastructure. Mali's he alth and development related indicators are among the worst in the world.

Moreover, it is estimated that most girls and women (up to 90%!) Undergo brutal circumcision. Such genital mutilation has fatal consequences and often leads to premature death.

In which countries the life is the shortest - Cameroon - 58.1

Inhabited by over 24 million people, Cameroon is relatively politically and socially stable compared to its neighbors. Nevertheless, widespread poverty is a serious problem - mainly because the greatest riches are held in the hands of an authoritarian president.

He althcare is poorly paid in Cameroon. As a result, doctors and nurses are emigrating en masse from this country. The he alth situation of the inhabitants is also not the best - for example, dengue and malaria are fought.

Moreover, in Cameroon, even a quarter of girls suffer from the cruel practice of the so-called breast ironing (whipping or pressing with hot objects to stop or delay breast development), which has a very bad effect on women's he alth and development.

Where in Europe is life the shortest?

Compared to Africa, European indicators are much more optimistic - they all point to an average life expectancy of over 70 years (for both sexes). And what does it look like in details?

Life is the shortest in Moldova, which is one of the poorest countries on the continent. Life expectancy according to WHO is 71.5 years. Other countries with the lowest rates are Russia (71.9) and Ukraine (72.5).

In the European Union countries, among the countries with the lowest life expectancy, it is worth mentioning, for example, Bulgaria (74.8), Latvia (75), Lithuania (75) and Romania (75.2). However, these are not huge differences compared to the European record holders in longevity, i.e. Switzerland (83.3), Spain (83.1), France (82.9), Italy (82.8) and Norway (82.5).

Poland has a value of 77.8 for comparison.

Category:

Geriatrics