A new study in Nature Aging suggests that humans may be reaching the maximum possible life expectancy. The research, led by S. Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois-Chicago, looked at life expectancy trends from 1990 to 2019 in eight countries where people live the longest: Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. Even though advances in medicine and genetics have helped more people live to 100, the overall increase in life expectancy has slowed down. In the 1990s, it rose by about 2.5 years per decade, but in the 2010s, it increased by only 1.5 years per decade, with almost no change in the U.S. This slowdown indicates there might be a natural limit to how long humans can live.

The study highlights that despite more centenarians, the improvement in life expectancy is getting smaller. Researchers also discovered that if everyone remained healthy until age 50, the increase in life expectancy would still be small. Olshansky pointed out that while technology can extend life, the aging process itself remains a challenge that cannot be overcome. Other experts agree, noting that U.S. life expectancy is falling behind other countries. While more people might live to 100, the study concludes that most will not live much longer than they do now.