This represents a six-year increase since 1990, according to a new health-statistics report from the World Health Organization. The average for women is 73 years; for men, 68 years.
However, despite improvement, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Southeast Asia and Africa are all below average at 68, 67 and 58 years, respectively. Sierra Leone has the shortest life expectancy at 46 years, while Japan has the longest life expectancy for women at 87 years.