A new study published in Nature Aging reveals that humanity may be nearing the upper limits of life expectancy. The research, led by S. Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois-Chicago, analyzed data from 1990 to 2019, focusing on life expectancy trends in eight countries with the longest-living populations: Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. Although medical advancements and genetic research have increased the number of centenarians, the overall rise in life expectancy has slowed down significantly. In the 1990s, life expectancy improved by around 2.5 years per decade, but in the 2010s, this rate dropped to just 1.5 years per decade, with almost no improvement in the U.S. This slowdown suggests that there may be biological limits to human longevity.

The study emphasizes that life expectancy gains are diminishing despite the growing number of people living to 100. The researchers explored what would happen if all losses of life before age 50 were eliminated, finding that the increase in life expectancy would still be minimal. Olshansky noted that although life-extending technologies exist, aging itself presents an insurmountable challenge, limiting further lifespan increases. Experts like Mark Hayward and Eileen Crimmins agree with these findings, citing the U.S.’s declining life expectancy compared to other nations. While centenarians may become more common due to population growth, the study concludes that most people will not live much beyond the current limits.