this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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Improved health conditions. The start of the curve is around '91, and given this graph is for 19yos it's probably some change around '72. I don't know which change.
Mao died in '76. This wasn't some great achievement, but the end of one of the most catastrophic policies any country has submitted its own population to.
Nah. Even if we eyeball the start of the curve, like I did, it clearly starts way before 1976+19 = 1995:
And upon further inspection even my eyeballed 1991 is a bit too late; 1969+19 = 1988 would make a better fit. It's something that happened before the 70s.
Life expectamcy in China doubled under Mao.
Life expectancy is declining under both Biden and Trump in the USA.
Better diet, mostly.
Possible, but "better diet" on its own should apply to all five.
Another interesting bit in that pic is India. It was in a rather steep curve up from before '85 to ~'92[?]. Then it dropped, stagnated, started climbing back.