Thanks to revolutionary advancements in public health, humans are living longer than any other point in history.
In a stunning animated map, economist Max Roser illustrates exactly how life expectancy has evolved over the last few centuries. His site, Our World in Data, features data visualizations that show how the world is changing in areas like energy, violence, health, agriculture, and technology.
The map charts average life expectancy for both genders every year since 1543, according to 2012 data (the most recent available). You can also head to Roser's site to zoom in and filter by region.
The map is especially fascinating because it shows how the life expectancy in individual countries has changed (except for when the region is gray, which means there is no data available for that year).
For example, the life expectancy for people in Canada has doubled over the last two centuries, from 40 years old in 1841 ...
... to 81 years today.
For those in Kazakhstan, it has nearly tripled, going from 23 years old in 1870 ...
... to about 65 years old today.
It's never been a better time to be alive.