Pre-1800 Life Expectancy and Mortality Factors | Generated by AI
Question: Why in the Tang Dynasty, or before 1800, was the life span of people often around 60-65 years?
Answer:
The idea that people in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) or pre-1800 eras generally lived only to around 60–65 years is a common misunderstanding. Historical estimates show that average life expectancy at birth in ancient and pre-modern China (including the Tang Dynasty and earlier periods like Han, Song, Ming, and Qing before 1800) was typically much lower, often in the range of 25–35 years.
This low average was not because most adults died around 60–65. Instead, it was heavily pulled down by extremely high infant and child mortality rates. Many children died before age 5 (sometimes 30–50% or more in pre-modern societies), which drastically reduced the overall average.
- If a person survived childhood (reached age 15–20), they often had a reasonable chance of living into their 50s, 60s, or even 70s+, especially among elites, officials, or those with better nutrition and living conditions.
- Many historical figures, poets (like Li Bai and Du Fu in the Tang), and emperors or nobles lived to 60–80+ when they avoided disease, war, or accident.
- For the general population, reaching 60–65 was considered old but achievable for those who made it through early life risks.
The main reasons for the low average life expectancy (and why few reached old age in large numbers) include:
- Very high infant and child mortality — From infections, poor sanitation, malnutrition, birth complications, and lack of modern neonatal care. This was the single biggest factor dragging down averages worldwide before the 19th–20th centuries.
- Infectious diseases — Without antibiotics, vaccines, or germ theory, epidemics (smallpox, plague, typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis, etc.) killed many at all ages.
- Famine and malnutrition — Periodic famines, poor agricultural yields in bad years, and limited food diversity weakened immune systems, especially for the poor.
- Limited medical knowledge — Treatments were based on herbal medicine and traditional practices; no understanding of bacteria, sterilization, or surgery as we know it.
- Wars, rebellions, and violence — The Tang had major events like the An Lushan Rebellion, which caused massive deaths; earlier and later periods had frequent conflicts.
- Poor sanitation and hygiene — No clean water systems, sewage, or public health measures led to widespread waterborne and parasitic diseases.
Even elites (like Qing imperial family members) sometimes had life expectancy at birth below 35 due to these factors, though survivors often lived longer.
In summary, the “around 60–65” figure you mention more closely reflects the lifespan of those who survived to adulthood, not the average from birth. True average life expectancy at birth remained low until modern public health, sanitation, vaccines, and nutrition improvements raised it dramatically after 1800–1900.
References:
- Our World in Data - Life Expectancy
- PubMed - Changes of marriage age in ancient China (life expectancy 22–35 range)
- Various historical demographic studies on China (e.g., Qing nobility data showing high early mortality)