Full text PDF - International Policy Network

8 Fighting the Diseases of Poverty
Table 2 Life expectancy at birth (in years) from the Middle Ages to 2003
Year(s) Middle Pre- or 1900 d 1950–55 e 1975–80 e 1985–90 e 2003 f
ages earlyindustrial
phase ab
France ~30 47 66.5 73.7 76.0 79.4
(1800)
UK 20–30 35.9 50 69.2 72.8 75.0 78.3
(1799–1803) c
Developed countries 20–30 66.1 72.3 74.1 75.6 d
Eastern Europe 64.2 69.5 70.3 67.9 d
India 24–25 24 38.7 53.3 57.2 63.1
(1901–11)
China 25–35 40.8 65.3 67.1 71.5
(1929–31)
Sub-Saharan Africa 37.4 47.2 49.4 45.9
Developing countries 41.1 56.9 60.4 63.4 d
World 20–30 30 46.6 59.9 62.9 65.4
a Data are for the year(s) shown in brackets.
b Many developing countries, e.g., India and China, had barely embarked upon industrialization until after World War II.
c 1799–1803 data are for England and Wales, only. d Maddison (1999b). e UNPD (2004). f World Bank (2005b).
Sources: Wrigley and Schofield (1981); Preston (1995); Lee and Feng (1999); Maddison (1999b); UNPD (2004); World Bank (2005b)