Claim in 2017: Russians’ “life expectancy at birth ranks 153rd in the world, just behind Honduras and Kazakhstan.”

Correct: That is the most recent ranking, given by the CIA. Slightly older World Bank and U.N. rankings came close. (Fact-check done in April 2017.)

Source of the claim: Joseph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University professor and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in economics (April 2017)

Prof. Stiglitz cites the CIA’s World Factbook for his claim and that resource does indeed rank Russia 153rd out of 224 countries and territories for life expectancy at birth in 2016. As of this writing that seemed to be the most recent estimate available. The United Nations and the World Bank rank the life expectancy of Russians at birth as 150th in 2010-2015 and 151st in 2014, respectively. The World Health Organization, however, ranks Russia as 110th out of 183 countries for 2015.