The Japanese Have The World’s Longest Life Expectancy

Trade significantly impacts a population’s overall health and prosperity, closely linking it to life expectancy.

This graphic, created by Visual Capitalist’s Julia Wendling, in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, visualizes life expectancy at birth across 29 major economies.

Data is from the United Nations’ Human Development Index (UN HDI).

The analysis comes from the 2024 Sustainable Trade Index (STI), which the Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

Data Overview

To create the STI’s lifespan metric, data on life expectancy at birth from the UN HDI were converted into a numerical index score. Scores were averaged for each economy, with a range of 0 to 100. 

A relatively high life expectancy at birth translated into a high (and favorable) STI lifespan score. Conversely, a relatively low life expectancy at birth translated into a low (and thus unfavorable) STI lifespan score.

A country’s openness to trade can determine access to essential resources, including medical supplies, healthcare services, and nutritious food. Furthermore, trade policies shape the availability of educational infrastructure and can either foster or hinder job creation. Both of these factors are critical factors in improving public health and estimated lifespans. 

Japan’s advanced healthcare system, low obesity rates, low crime levels, and active lifestyle have all contributed to the country’s remarkably high life expectancy.

Unsurprisingly, this metric is closely related to GDP per capita. Countries with lower GDP per capita, including Myanmar and Papua New Guinea, tended to have lower life expectancies. Conversely, countries with higher GDP per capita, such as Australia and Singapore, tended to have populations that lived longer.

As one of the only developed countries without Universal Health Coverage, the U.S. is the sole outlier in this dataset. The country has the second highest GDP per capita, yet its lifespan ranking is only at #12.

This infographic provides a preview of the Sustainable Trade Index, which evaluates 30 major economies using 72 economic, societal, and environmental indicators. Download the free report from the Hinrich Foundation.