Improved global living conditions mean we are, for the most part, living better and longer lives than ever before — and few things illustrate just how far we've come, like looking back at life expectancies of the past.

Based on the 2022 United Nations Revision of World Population Prospects, Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu charted the average life expectancy at birth in selected global regions from 1950 and 2000, as well as projections for 2050.

Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean had the lowest life expectancies overall in 1950, at 42, 49 and 38 years, respectively. By 2000, however, that number had risen to 68 years in Asia and 71 years in Latin America and the Caribbean — while Africa's life expectancy had crept up to just 53 over the same period.

According to estimates by the UN, average life expectancy at birth is projected to surpass 80 years in most global regions by 2050 — but not in Africa, where, by that time, it's projected to climb to just 68 years.

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Via Visual Capitalist.