“No End in Sight” for Living to 100

A data briefing by John Appleby, Chief Economist at the Kings Fund (United Kingdom), brings attention to the rising amount of those expected to live to 100 and asks where it will end.  According to the UK Office of National Statistics there seems to be "no end in sight" as far as the number of UK citizens reaching 100 years old is concerned. Approximately 13% of girls born in 1951 are expected to reach this milestone, increasing to 40% for girls born this year and a predicted 60% of those born in 2060.  Appleby attributes similar worldwide trends to the fact that people are dying at older ages. Deaths in children under five have fallen by 60% since 1970, and surviving early childhood makes it easier to live a much longer life.  The analysis also reveals that gains in life expectancy have more to do with reductions in deaths than reductions in years lived in disability. While life expectancy for women has risen 4.6% since 1990, healthy life expectancy has risen by only 3%.