Life expectancy is a broad term and it depends on so many things that go around in that place. Are the people getting a well-balanced diet? Is medical care accessible and affordable for the residents? These are just two of the several questions that arise when life expectancy needs to be calculated. Here are 20 countries in the world that are lagging behind due to the lowest life expectancy.
Central African Republic (52.67)
According to the latest statistics, the life expectancy of the Central African Republic is 52.67 years. That number is shocking, right? Believe us, it’s true and there are reasons for people in that country being unable to survive in those conditions.
If we take into account the list of poorest countries around the globe, this one is sure to be on there. Apart from being struck with poverty, the diseases that prevail in the country are numerous including malaria, STDs, measles and other serious health issues. These problems lead to such low life expectancy among the population.
Lesotho (53.51)
The country enclosed in South Africa, Lesotho is “restricted” in development due to the tough life that people have to face as life-threatening diseases have taken over the country. The STDs are on the top of the list with almost 50% of women being under its radar.
Such critical situations do not allow people to have a healthy lifestyle and their health is affected in serious ways. So, the life expectancy tends to be low and in this case, it is estimated to be 53.51. It is an improvement from the previous statistics but still a long way to go!
Chad (53.80)
With constant wars for power in Chad located in north-central Africa, there have been many miserable occurrences in the country. The poverty rate is very high and we all know what that means! The people don’t get any decent facilities, not even the basic ones like clean drinking water and appropriate sanitation. Horrifying, right?
The life expectancy of this country is almost 53.80. How do you expect people to have a long healthy life when they don’t even have access to the necessities including water and food? This needs to change really soon.
Sierra Leone (54.07)
The white sand beaches of this small country in West Africa might be a unique feature that makes this place known to the world, but the facts revolving around the population and their lifestyle are disturbing. The life expectancy here is 54.07 as per the latest survey.
The Sierra Leone Civil War that started in 1991 and went on till 2002 left the country shattered and suffering from a major setback. More than 50,000 people lost their lives in this battle and many were homeless after that attack. The year 2014 was another worst year with the Ebola attack leading to many people dying as the medical facilities were extremely poor.
They need to work towards giving the citizens a better living!
Nigeria (54.18)
There are always things that define a country to the rest of the world and for Nigeria, it is the natural elements like the rainforests and the wildlife that people think of when they hear about Nigeria. However, we need to dig deep into the country’s actual condition when it comes to the citizens and that’s no good news.
The “Giant of Africa" has unfavorable conditions for the residents including terrible circumstances when basic facilities are taken into account. So, after all this description, the low life expectancy of 54.18 should not come as a shock. But still it did, we guess!
Somalia (56.94)
Somalia is considered to be the most culturally homogeneous country of the continent Africa. This was just a quick fact to give you an idea about the country before we step into the statistics that tell us the reality we need to know.
Let’s get straight to it – the life expectancy of the country is about 56.94. Yes, on average, people die at 56 years due to the unavailability of proper facilities in the area.
The civil war has a role to play in this poor condition of the country besides the other factors that are maintained awfully.
Ivory Coast (57.25)
The average life expectancy of this country in the African continent is 57.25. Ivory Coast or Côte d'Ivoire is far from development as the population is not receiving any health care facilities that result in them getting sick and losing their life. We all know how unfortunate that is!
With only 12 medical professionals for 100,000 people, this country needs to put efforts towards strengthening the roots on which its future stands. To begin with, they should make medical facilities available and easily accessible to all.
South Sudan (57.43)
The landlocked country, South Sudan has more than 12 million people living in that area but the adverse situations have resulted in the life expectancy getting as low as 57.43. People tend to have a really short life span due to the food crisis that exists.
It is hard for people to find food in the country as agriculture is not strong and the food that is imported is highly expensive and most of them cannot afford it. What do you think happens then? They starve to death.
We think the efforts that are being put to make things better are not enough. They need to get to a new level!
Guinea-Bissau (57.82)
The tropical West African country, Guinea-Bissau has a difficult time hidden behind those dense forests and vast wildlife. Those difficulties come to light when surveys are conducted and it turns out that the residents do not have proper access to good medical services. It gets worse! The doctors are not available and the people suffering from malaria form about 9 percent of the total population.
The infant mortality rates have only witnessed a rise and the female population is on a decline as a result of terrible health-care in the country. The life expectancy in this nation is 57.82.
We hope these numbers change and the country moves towards growth!
Equatorial Guinea (58.25)
The per capita income in Equatorial Guinea is far better than in other African countries. It has been among sub-Saharan Africa’s largest oil producers and there is no doubt that the country is financially stable to some extent. But considering the low life expectancy of 58.25 here, these facts are hard to believe.
Most of the population is still suffering and experiencing the worst conditions. Why so? This is because the resources are unequally shared among the people. Some get a huge sum while others get lost in the crowd and receive nothing.
Mali (58.71)
If you are aware of the countries that offer the best lifestyle to its citizens, then the knowledge of the opposite is required too. You must know which countries are lagging behind in the growth and are impotent at providing a fair share of amenities to the whole population.
Mali, a country in West Africa ticks all the boxes in the latter category. People living in that region are surviving on a minimal amount of basic things. This brings it to this list as the average life expectancy is estimated to be 58.71. Where health-related services are so awful, you can’t expect people to have a good life.
Cameroon (58.77)
The people of the central African country, Cameroon has not seen any rise in their living standards despite the positive changes in the political structure of the nation. This is due to the lack of a proper system and the privileges go to the upper class of the population. The rest have to suffer and live in poverty.
So, when the average life expectancy was calculated, it turned out to be only 58.77. People die at a young age and that’s really disappointing for a country that is stable socially!
The first step that needs to be taken is the appointment of physicians and doctors and open more medical centers to deal with patients suffering from malaria and dengue.
Swaziland (59.31)
Covering a very small part of Africa, Swaziland, also called Eswatini is lacking some mandatory amenities and the lifestyle of people is not even close to decent. They live in very poor surroundings with no medical facilities nearby. People are infected by STDs and other diseases including Tuberculosis. The treatment is nowhere to find in this tiny nation.
With 59.31 as the life expectancy of Swaziland, there is no doubt that the country has to focus on the living conditions of the people and work for the betterment.
Mozambique (60.05)
Mozambique has been described as one of the poorest countries of the world and this happened after the Civil war that lasted for 15 years from 1977 to 1992. The consequences of that battle can still be seen in the country with people struggling to make ends meet. The health problems seem like they’ll never end as for every 100,000 people, only 3 doctors are available.
The country has a long way to go before it vanishes from this list and gets on the path of development. Everyone has to contribute their bit!
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (60.21)
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world’s 11th largest country and is at the second largest in the African continent. These geographical facts might be all fascinating but we need to know the real side of the country and that can be judged by the lifestyle of the people. We’ll begin by stating the life expectancy that is 60.21 as per the latest statistics.
Not fascinating anymore, right? The living conditions are rather terrifying. The country has been under many grave attacks making it difficult for the people to exit that tough phase. Malaria and yellow fever are just two of the many widespread diseases that have affected the health of many.
Togo (60.53)
One of the smallest countries in Africa, Togo has a life expectancy of 60.53. The number might be better than other African countries but there is still a lot of scope for improvement in the living conditions of the people who reside there. The families are drowning in poverty and with insufficient money to take care of themselves and their children.
Access to healthcare is a major issue in this country and so, most of the population is under the radar of some serious diseases that include STDs leading to such low life expectancy.
Angola (60.54)
When a country is having a nice value on the economic scale, it is assumed that the people are living a good life and have an adequate supply of all the daily necessities. But that’s not the correct way! Angola, the country located in the southern part of Africa is proof of that as its economic status might be good but the life expectancy is as low as 60.54.
This is pointing to how poorly maintained the health care system is of this nation. The infant mortality rate is far below what the standard making things terrible for the country. The diseases spread quickly and persist for a long time.
Zimbabwe (60.83)
If we speak of development in this South African country, Zimbabwe then there are stories of some real challenges that it has faced all these years. There is an abundance of natural resources but what’s the use if the environment and surroundings are not favoring people!
The life expectancy is estimated to be around 60.83 and the causes lie in the medical facilities that need attention as they are in a terrible state. The diseases spread and due to inefficient provisions, people lose their lives after being under their attack.
Burundi (61.03)
What can you expect from a country that is under the control of a poorly managed system especially in terms of economy? The low life expectancy of 61.03 is not astonishing for such a nation where people are deprived of basic amenities and hunger prevails. Burundi in the African continent is in that category of nations.
The country has not evolved since the outbreak of two civil wars in the 1970s and 1990s. No access to health just worsens the situation for the citizens. The children suffer from diseases from a very young age and there is nothing they can do about that as physicians are not available.
Afghanistan (64.28)
Afghanistan is one of those countries that have witnessed wars and surrendered in many areas. So, after all those downfalls, the country is fighting to reach a standard level of living. The life expectancy according to the statistics is 64.28. That number is really low!
The maternal mortality rate is extremely high due to the spread of serious infections in females. Of course, that has a worse effect on the infants and their mortality rate increases too.
Landmines have led to complex injuries with about 80,000 people being physically disabled in one way or another. Let’s wait for the sun to shine in this nation!
