The chances are you are going to live longer than you thought as longevity figures are revised by statisticians.
Researchers say someone in their 50s now who will turn 65 in 2030 is likely to live for more than 20 years in retirement.
Men have an extra 21 years to look forward to – reaching the ripe old age of 86 years old.
Women will fare much better, with a 23-year retirement taking them to the age of 88.
The data was published in prestigious medical journal The Lancet by a team of academics from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London.
The last major longevity survey in 2010 posted results suggesting men would live 18 years after retirement to 83 years old, while women should expect 21 years, taking them to 86 years old.
Medical and dietary advances in just a few years have added to that figure.
Where people will live longest
“We repeatedly hear that improvements in human longevity are about to come to an end,’ he said. ‘Many people used to believe that 90 years is the upper limit for life expectancy, but this research suggests we will break the 90-year barrier,” said study leader Professor Majid Ezzati.
“I don’t believe we’re anywhere near the upper limit of life expectancy – if there even is one.”
The study looked at longevity in 35 developed countries, including the UK, US, Canada and Germany.
South Koreans were found to have the longest life expectancy.
A 65 year old retiring in 2030 – the benchmark age and date for the study – should expect to reach more than 92 years old.
Ezzati explained that South Korea’s high life expectancy may be due to good nutrition in childhood, low blood pressure, low levels of smoking, good healthcare, and uptake of new medical knowledge and technologies.
Premature deaths will decline
Britain was 21st in the list of 35 countries.
Besides South Korea, the countries with the highest life expectancy at birth for men in 2030 were Australia (84.0), Switzerland (84.0), Canada (83.9), the Netherlands (83.7).
For women, they were: France (88.6), Japan (88.4), Spain (88.1), Switzerland (87.7).
Professor Colin Mathers, co-author from the World Health Organization, said: “The increase in average life expectancy in high income countries is due to the over-65s living longer than ever before. In middle-income countries, the number of premature deaths, such as people dying in their 40s and 50s, will also decline by 2030.”
