While this data are interesting, I would like to see what the life expectancy for the average 13 year old is. The issue with these sorts of demographic analyses is that infant mortality dramatically skews the results. Throughout most of history, if you made it to 13 you were likely to live into your 60s (assuming you didn’t die from battle or plague). So what this really shows is the decline in infant mortality through time–an important set of data, sure, but not quite what most people expect when they first look at these numbers.
While this data are interesting, I would like to see what the life expectancy for the average 13 year old is. The issue with these sorts of demographic analyses is that infant mortality dramatically skews the results. Throughout most of history, if you made it to 13 you were likely to live into your 60s (assuming you didn’t die from battle or plague). So what this really shows is the decline in infant mortality through time–an important set of data, sure, but not quite what most people expect when they first look at these numbers.
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