Increasing life expectancy In pre-industrial times,low life expectancies were driven by sky-high child mortality rates. If you survived to age 5 you would probably live a long life,but surviving to that age was difficult. In 1833,French life expectancy at birth was 38 years;in Sweden it was 42.5. Bhattacharya,Hyde and Tu-HealthEconomicsBhattacharya, Hyde and Tu – Health Economics Increasing life expectancy • In pre-industrial times, low life expectancies were driven by sky-high child mortality rates. • If you survived to age 5 you would probably live a long life, but surviving to that age was difficult. • In 1833, French life expectancy at birth was 38 years; in Sweden it was 42.5