Death. It’s coming for all of us. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try and delay the inevitable. While we’re here, we might as well have a romping and raucous long time.
What’s more, the Australian Government might agree with this thesis. On 11 July, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) published a report called How long can Australians live? This report unpacks what the average life expectancy of an Aussie is and discusses if this number will continue to increase.
So, are you ready to face some mortality statistics? If so, then are some deets for your noggin.
Australia’s Life Expectancy Numbers
According to the AIHW, the length of an Aussie’s life has been improving over time. At the start of the 20th century, the life expectancy of a male was 51.1 years. For a female, it was 54.8 years.
However, during the mid-century, the life expectancy of a male jumped up to 67.1 years long. Female life expectancy became 72.8 years long.
Additionally, the estimates created between 2019 and 2021 are even more positive. Males born today are expected to hit 81.3 years old, and females are expected to reach 85.4 years old.
Since the dawn of the 20th century, the life expectancy of someone born in Australia has increased by around three months each year. What a slay.
How Long Can Australians Actually Live For?
In Australia, the maximum age that someone has died at is believed to be 114 years old. Yet, Aussies have only hit this age in 1983, 2002, and 2017. The maximum age of death has fluctuated from year to year and hasn’t increased much over time.
This raises the queries: Is there a maximum age that us humans can live to? Or is there no cap to this number? As per the AIHW, the answers to such Qs are still up for debate.
The Limitations of This AIHW Study
Now, while this AIHW report is very comprehensive, it does have a few constraints. It’s a shame that the AIHW doesn’t acknowledge non-binary people, even if they don’t know what their life expectancy in Australia is. Additionally, it doesn’t discuss the life expectancy of First Nations people, despite the fact we know that it’s concerningly lower.
Between 2015 and 2017, the life expectancy of an Indigenous male newborn was 71.6 years old. For females, the age was 75.6 years old. During this time, the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal folks and other Australians was over seven years wide. This statistic needs to get better.
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