Bio-cultural medium, longevity and life expectancy (Spain)

The age of death is an indicator of individual longevity and of environmental quality, while life expectancy at birth is a global population health indicator, which reflects death rate by ages, in such a way that all health programmes have a positive influence on it.

High mortality at an early age are mainly because of infectious diseases, and considerably reduces life expectancy at birth. Controlling these causes of early death in countries with high income levels has increased life expectancy and changed the pattern of disease, with chronic and degenerative diseases which affect older people now predominating.

In poorer countries, although the situation has improved, the main causes of death are still certain diseases (respiratory infections, AIDA, diarrhoea, malaria and tuberculosis), problems at delivery and nutritional factors, which occur at an early age for both sexes or during women’s reproductive life.

Life expectancy in Spain more than doubled for women and men between 1900 and 2015.