Development Geography Practice Test

Life expectancy at birth is a measure that reflects the overall health of a population and the quality of living conditions. It shows the average number of years a newborn would live if current mortality rates stayed the same, so it’s highly influenced by factors like access to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, disease control, and safety. When health services improve and living conditions rise, life expectancy tends to increase; when infant mortality or disease burden is high, it drags the number down. That’s why this indicator best indicates the general health environment, rather than directly measuring fertility, economic growth, or literacy, though those factors can influence health outcomes indirectly.