People in the Tropics Live Shorter Lives

A new study finds that people who live in the tropics can expect to live 64.4 years, well below the non-tropical world's average of 72.1, reports the Telegraph. The study by 13 universities and groups across 12 nations blames poverty, war, and disease for the gap, with conditions worst in central and southern Africa. About 40% of the world's population lives in the tropical zone around the Equator—including all or part of 144 nations—and the figure is expected to rise to 50% by 2050, reports the Australian. (More tropics stories.)