-
47
The average age of life expectancy in 1900 was around 47 years (Suppes et al., 303). -
74.7
However, women's average life expectancy on my birthday was 78.7 years (U.S. Department of Human Services, 1987). In 84 years, life expectancy increased by 31.7 years! -
79.7
According to Worldometers.info, the current average life expectancy for U.S. citizens is almost 80 years. Despite the U.S. being a first-world country, we only rank 47/201 as Hong Kong, China is #1 with the highest average life expectancy of 85.8 years (Worldometers.info, 2024). -
Social Work
The average life expectancy in the world has improved because of advances in medicine and technology. Infant mortality rate has decreased which means more people are living than ever! Vaccines, antibiotics, and improved personal hygiene made way for everyday people to reach ages that only the wealthy could once dream of. This explosion of people required aid from others with old and subsequently new problems. Social workers are here to do just that and to help further guide us into progression. -
Three References
Suppes, M.A., Wells, C.C., & Kiltz, M.L. (2018). The social work experience: A Case-based introduction to social work and social welfare. Pearson, Inc. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics. (1987). Vital statistics of the united states, 1984. (Vol. II, Sec. 6, Life Tables). US Government Printing Office. Worldometers.info. (31, March, 2024). Life expectancy of the world population. https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/