Recent studies have shed new light on the question humanity has asked for centuries: How long can we truly live? According to groundbreaking research from Tilburg University and Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, scientists believe they have identified the maximum human lifespan — and the results are fascinating.
Average Life Expectancy Across the Globe
Before diving into the maximum limit, it helps to understand current averages:
- 🇺🇸 United States: 78.39 years
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 81.24 years
- 🇨🇦 Canada: 81.65 years
These averages, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), continue to rise due to improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and technology. However, even as people live longer, there appears to be a ceiling that human biology cannot surpass.
The Dutch Study: Measuring the Boundaries of Human Life
Researchers from Tilburg and Erasmus Universities analyzed data from more than 75,000 deceased individuals in the Netherlands over a 30-year period, ending in 2017. Their goal was to determine when human longevity plateaus — the point at which no further increase in lifespan is observed.
Their findings? The human lifespan plateaus around age 90, meaning that although many people live well into their 80s and 90s, surpassing 115 years remains extremely rare.
The Maximum Lifespan: The “Biological Ceiling”
According to the study, the maximum potential human age appears to be:
- 115.7 years for women
- 114.1 years for men
While average lifespans continue to increase, the research team, led by Professor John Einmahl, emphasized that the maximum recorded age has not changed significantly in the past three decades.
“People are living longer on average,” Professor Einmahl explained to AFP, “but the oldest among us have not gotten older. There is certainly some kind of biological wall here.”
Related Posts
Why Women Tend to Live Longer
Women continue to outlive men across almost every culture and region. Scientists attribute this difference to a mix of genetic, hormonal, and behavioral factors. For example:
- Estrogen may protect women’s cardiovascular health.
- Men are statistically more prone to high-risk behaviors and stress-related illnesses.
- Women are also more likely to seek preventive medical care.
These combined factors may explain why the longevity ceiling for women slightly exceeds that of men.
Record-Breaking Lifespans: The Outliers
Despite the biological limits, some individuals defy expectations.
The oldest verified man, Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, lived to be 116 years and 54 days old, according to Guinness World Records.
Currently, the oldest living woman is Ethel Caterham, a British-born supercentenarian aged 116 years and 48 days. Born in 1909, she witnessed the reign of King Edward VII, survived two world wars, and even overcame COVID-19 in 2020.
What This Means for the Future of Human Longevity
While reaching 115 years may represent the natural upper limit of human life, medical breakthroughs, genetic research, and lifestyle improvements could still shift this boundary. Experts in the field of biogerontology — the study of aging — continue to explore whether extending the human lifespan beyond 120 years is possible through regenerative medicine and anti-aging therapies.
However, as of now, the scientific consensus suggests that the “biological wall” remains firm.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
