World Bank lists 10 African countries with lowest life expectancy

The World Bank has listed top 10 African countries with the lowest life expectancy, with Chad topping the list at an of average 52.5 years.

Life expectancy reflects the average lifespan of individuals in a given population.

Chad, in a report released last week, was followed by Nigeria and Central African Republic at 52.7 years and 53.9 years, respectively.

South Sudan was ranked fourth at 55.0 years which was followed by Somalia at 55.3 years, while Eswatini and Mali followed at sixth and seventh paces having an average of 57.1 and 58.9 years, respectively.

Guniea and the Democratic Republic of Congo were ranked ninth and 10th at 58.9 and 59.2 years, respectively.

The World Bank indicated that countries that spent more on healthcare tend to have higher rates of life expectancy.

To reduce inequities, many countries had emphasised primary health care, including immunisation, sanitation, access to safe drinking water, and safe motherhood initiatives.

In Africa, life expectancy varied widely across the continent due to factors such as access to healthcare, economic development, and prevalence of diseases.

Human life expectancy had doubled in the past century, but huge disparities existed.

“While the average life expectancy for humans has increased significantly on a global scale, there’s still a noticeable gap in average life expectancies between different countries.

“It is not just luck that determines life expectancy, factors like race, how much money you have, gender, and where you live all play a role,” according to the report.

The countries with the longest expected life spans were wealthy in Asia and Europe, with Japan, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and South Korea all topping the list at 84 years.

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