How does life expectancy reflect development?

How does life expectancy reflect development?

• A. It indicates cultural diversity.
• B. It reflects overall health and living conditions; higher life expectancy usually means better health care, nutrition, and living standards.
• C. It only measures infant mortality.
• D. It is the same as GDP per capita.

Answer: (B)

Life expectancy is a summary measure of how long people are expected to live given current mortality rates, so it captures the outcome of a country’s health and living conditions. When development improves health care, nutrition, sanitation, education, and overall living standards, fewer people die young and people live longer, pushing life expectancy upward. Because it reflects access to medical services, disease control, clean water, nutrition, and safe living conditions, it serves as a good indicator of development. That broader picture is why the statement is best: life expectancy reflects overall health and living conditions, and higher life expectancy usually means better health care, nutrition, and living standards. It doesn’t measure cultural diversity, it’s not just about infant deaths, and it isn’t the same as GDP per capita (which gauges income, not health outcomes).

Life expectancy is a summary measure of how long people are expected to live given current mortality rates, so it captures the outcome of a country’s health and living conditions. When development improves health care, nutrition, sanitation, education, and overall living standards, fewer people die young and people live longer, pushing life expectancy upward. Because it reflects access to medical services, disease control, clean water, nutrition, and safe living conditions, it serves as a good indicator of development.

That broader picture is why the statement is best: life expectancy reflects overall health and living conditions, and higher life expectancy usually means better health care, nutrition, and living standards. It doesn’t measure cultural diversity, it’s not just about infant deaths, and it isn’t the same as GDP per capita (which gauges income, not health outcomes).