What is a life expectancy?

Life expectancy is the number of years that a person may expect to live.

As reported by USA Today, people around the world continue to live longer, and in some poor countries the gains have been dramatic according to the annual report released by the World Health Organization.

In poorer countries, the average girl born in 2012 can expect to reach 73 and the average boy can expect to reach 68. That gives them an average of six years more than children born in 1990.

In the United States, female's life expectancy is 81 and male's life expectancy is 76. While Americans do better than average, they do not make the top 10 for either gender. Japan topped the ranking for female (87 years) and Iceland for men (81.2 years).

No matter what your age, you have the power to change many of the variables that influence how long you live, and how active and vital you feel in your later years. Actions you can take to increase your odds of a longer and more satisfying life span are really quite simple. Follow tips for a longer life , featured at Harvard Health Publications.

Happy Birthday! Japanese Misao Okawa, the world’s oldest woman, celebrated her 116th birthday in Osaka, western Japan, this year. Read more at Yahoo.com.