A. Great question! As you'll see from the chart below, there has been a steady increase in the life expectancy of both men and women since the 1920's. The way to interpret the chart is as follows:
| Life Expectancy At Birth | ||
| YEAR OF BIRTH 1920-22 1925-27 1930-32 1935-37 1940-42 1945-47 1950-52 1955-57 1960-62 1965-67 1970-72 1975-77 1980-82 1985-87 |
MALE 59 years 60 years 60 years 64 years 63 years 65 years 66 years 67 years 68 years 69 years 69 years 70 years 72 years 73 years |
FEMALE 60 years 62 years 62 years 64 years 66 years 69 years 71 years 73 years 74 years 75 years 76 years 77 years 79 years 80 years |
So, for example, a female child born in 1931 would have had a life expectancy of 62 years.
Remember, these statistics are life expectancies at the time of birth. The life expectancy of a 52 year old female in1931 may well be different than 62 years. That's because in many ways, if she's made it to 52, chances are she's doing really well, and her life expectancy will likely be higher than 62!
It's interesting to note the one "glitch" in the men's column around 1940 where the life expectancy actually FELL from previous years. I'm sure there are a number of factors which may account for such a change, but my guess is that the impact of the second world war is being felt here. Any other suggestions?
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