Half of babies born in rich countries will live to 100 years

"Professor Kaare Christensen, of the Danish Ageing Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark, who led the study, said life expectancy had been increasing since 1840 and there was no sign of this trend slowing down.

He said: "The linear increase in record life expectancy for more than 165 years does not suggest a looming limit to human lifespan. "If life expectancy were approaching a limit, some deceleration of progress would probably occur."

In 1950 the probability of surviving for between 80 and 90 years of age was, on average, 15 to 16% for women and 12% for men.

In 2002, these figures had risen to 37% for women and 25% for men.

The study points out that until the 1920s, improvements in infant and childhood survival contributed most to the increase in life expectancies."

In addition, people are living longer with less disability and fewer functional limitations. Read the full BBC article.