<P> When the high infant mortality rate is factored in ( life expectancy at birth ) inhabitants of the Roman Empire had a life expectancy at birth of about 25 years . However , when infant mortality is factored out , life expectancy is doubled to the late - 50s . If a Roman survived infancy to their mid-teens , they could , on average , expect near six decades of life , although of course many lived much longer or shorter lives for varied reasons . Although this figure relies more on conjecture than ancient evidence , which is sparse and of dubious quality , it is a point of general consensus among historians of the period . It originates in cross-country comparison : given the known social and economic conditions of the Roman Empire , we should expect a life expectancy near the lower bound of known pre-modern populations . Roman demography bears comparison to available data for India and rural China in the early 20th century , where life expectancies at birth were also in the low 20s . </P>
<P> When the high infant mortality rate is factored in ( life expectancy at birth ) inhabitants of the Roman Empire had a life expectancy at birth of about 25 years . However , when infant mortality is factored out , life expectancy is doubled to the late - 50s . If a Roman survived infancy to their mid-teens , they could , on average , expect near six decades of life , although of course many lived much longer or shorter lives for varied reasons . Although this figure relies more on conjecture than ancient evidence , which is sparse and of dubious quality , it is a point of general consensus among historians of the period . It originates in cross-country comparison : given the known social and economic conditions of the Roman Empire , we should expect a life expectancy near the lower bound of known pre-modern populations . Roman demography bears comparison to available data for India and rural China in the early 20th century , where life expectancies at birth were also in the low 20s . </P>
what was the average life expectancy in the roman empire
what was the average life expectancy in the roman empire
25 late - 50s
25 late - 50s