Average life expectancy in Mozambique grows to over 60 – UNDP

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Average life expectancy in Mozambique grows to over 60 – UNDP

4:55 CAT | 10 Dec 2019

File photo: Lusa

Average life expectancy in Mozambique has risen to over 60 years of age, an increase by just over a year since 2018, according to the United Nations Human Development Report released yesterday. [Read the briefing note for Mozambique on the 2019 HDI report HERE]

Mozambique however maintained 180th place among 189 countries assessed in the Human Development Index (HDI).

As last year, Mozambique has improved its absolute Human Development Index (HDI) (from 0.437 to 0.446), but remains among the 36 countries in the “low development” category, and continues to be the lowest-placed Lusophone country.

Variations in each item reported are minimal from one year to the next, so the increase in average life expectancy at birth – a worldwide trend – stands out. In Mozambique’s case, the value has risen from 58.9 to 60.2 years.

The average life expectancy of women exceeds that of men, rising from 61 to 63 years, while that of men rose only from 56.7 to 57.1 years.

Still, the average life expectancy at birth in Mozambique is 22 years lower than in Norway, the country which occupies the first position of the HDI. Those born there can expect to live 82 years, on average.

In other noticeable swings, Mozambique drops four positions in the gender inequality index, which measures differences in treatment of men and women – down from 138 to 142 in yesterday’s HDI. There is also an increase in the adolescent birth rate, now 148.6 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 against the 135.2 in the previous report.