Leading longevity experts are issuing a stark warning that human lifespan is approaching a critical plateau, despite average life expectancy rebounding to 73.3 years in 2024. The maximum human lifespan has remained stubbornly flat, creating what researchers call a 'longevity bottleneck' that requires urgent scientific intervention to break through.

Scientists count on longevity breakthroughs to extend human lifespan

A 2018 study predicts an additional 4.4 years of increase in global life expectancy by 2040. Siim said the proportion of the world’s population aged over 60 years will double from 12% to 22% by then. However, there are slim chances that “humans are going to live hundreds of years or even decades longer than 120 within this century.”

Average life expectancy has been increasing, but the maximum lifespan has stayed relatively the same over the past 75 years

The 1995 bump is Jeanne Calment, who is the only person to have lived over 120 years

People are living longer on average, but no breakthroughs in the… pic.twitter.com/GH0l2HzZu9

— Siim Land (@siimland) April 19, 2026

Different model predictions put the maximum human lifespan in the range of 120 to 130 years. Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment is the oldest documented person to have lived on earth. She passed away at 122 years and 164 days. 

Predictions informed by the Longevity Escape Velocity are that breakthroughs in healthcare and longevity science will eventually unlock a longer maximum lifespan for humans, beyond 120 and 130 years. 

“The main premise of The Longevity Escape Velocity is that if you’re alive long enough, you catch the wave of future technologies that will, over time, extend lifespan beyond 120 and 130,” Siim said. 

The technology and medicine currently do not exist today. However, there has been decent progress in the last couple of years.

Recent breakthroughs in longevity

Earlier this month, Cryptopolitan reported that Life Biosciences, founded by leading researcher Dr. David Sinclair, is preparing to begin testing partial reprogramming in people, the first clinical trial of such therapy, which could reset the biological age of cells. 

The animal studies have already proven successful, and now the researchers want to use the same therapy to treat 12 people with glaucoma and another 6 with NAION, which is a known cause of sudden optic nerve-related vision loss in people over age 50.

In March, another longevity firm Rubedo Life Sciences announced positive early results from its first human clinical trial of anti-aging treatment, RLS-1496. The drug was tested on people with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and sun-damaged skin in a 4-week trial, with the firm saying it worked “even better than should be expected.”

Longevity research has picked up noticeably this year, with more companies teaming up to advance research. Last month, LEV Foundation by Aubrey de Grey, a leading longevity researcher, partnered with Human Longevity, Inc. to understand why people age differently by studying those aged between 100+ and 110+.LEVF believes the answer would assist in the development of interventions that can slow down aging, Cryptopolitan reported.

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