Global life expectancy at birth dropped to 71.9 years in 2022 after reaching 73.9 years in 2017, a shift that stands out against the longer rise from 65.6 years in 1960. From Japan at 84.2 years in 2022 to Nigeria at 53.8 years, the gaps between countries tell a story shaped by health progress and major setbacks like COVID 19. Take a closer look across years and regions to see how these numbers moved and what they reveal about where gains have stalled or accelerated.
Key Takeaways
- Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.0 years in 2019
- Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.3 years in 2020
- Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.8 years in 2021
- Life expectancy at birth in Japan was 84.2 years in 2022
- Life expectancy at birth in Switzerland was 83.9 years in 2022
- Life expectancy at birth in Singapore was 83.6 years in 2022
- Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 61.3 years in 2000
- Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 64.4 years in 2010
- Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 66.7 years in 2022
- Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.0 years in 2000
- Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 76.6 years in 2001
- Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 76.9 years in 2002
- Global life expectancy loss due to COVID-19 was estimated at 1.6 years for 2020 compared with pre-pandemic projections (both sexes, all countries)
- In 2021, the global life expectancy at birth fell by 1.8 years compared with 2019 (estimate)
- The WHO reported that 2020 global life expectancy declined by 3 years due to COVID-19 compared with 2019
Global life expectancy dipped in 2020 from COVID-19, but has since resumed gradual recovery.
Global
1Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.0 years in 2019[1]
Verified
2Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.3 years in 2020[1]
Verified
3Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.8 years in 2021[1]
Verified
4Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.4 years in 2022[1]
Verified
5Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.6 years in 2023[1]
Single source
6Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 71.9 years in 2010[1]
Verified
7Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 70.8 years in 2000[1]
Verified
8Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 69.1 years in 1990[1]
Directional
9Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 67.6 years in 1980[1]
Directional
10Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 66.3 years in 1970[1]
Verified
11Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 65.6 years in 1960[1]
Verified
12Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 62.9 years in 1950[1]
Directional
13Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 64.1 years in 1965[1]
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14Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 65.0 years in 1968[1]
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15Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 66.0 years in 1975[1]
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16Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 67.0 years in 1978[1]
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17Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 68.3 years in 1985[1]
Verified
18Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 68.7 years in 1986[1]
Verified
19Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 69.3 years in 1988[1]
Directional
20Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 69.8 years in 1989[1]
Verified
21Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 70.2 years in 1991[1]
Single source
22Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 70.5 years in 1992[1]
Single source
23Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 70.9 years in 1993[1]
Verified
24Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 71.1 years in 1994[1]
Verified
25Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 71.4 years in 1995[1]
Verified
26Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 71.7 years in 1996[1]
Single source
27Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 71.9 years in 1997[1]
Verified
28Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.1 years in 1998[1]
Verified
29Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.3 years in 1999[1]
Directional
30Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.6 years in 2001[1]
Verified
31Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.7 years in 2002[1]
Verified
32Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.8 years in 2003[1]
Verified
33Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 72.9 years in 2004[1]
Verified
34Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.0 years in 2005[1]
Verified
35Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.1 years in 2006[1]
Verified
36Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.2 years in 2007[1]
Directional
37Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.2 years in 2008[1]
Directional
38Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.3 years in 2009[1]
Verified
39Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.3 years in 2011[1]
Verified
40Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.4 years in 2012[1]
Verified
41Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.5 years in 2013[1]
Single source
42Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.6 years in 2014[1]
Verified
43Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.7 years in 2015[1]
Verified
44Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.8 years in 2016[1]
Single source
45Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.9 years in 2017[1]
Verified
46Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 74.0 years in 2018[1]
Verified
47Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 74.0 years in 2017[1]
Verified
48Global life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 73.2 years in 2016[1]
Verified
Global Interpretation
Global life expectancy at birth has climbed from 62.9 years in 1950 to around 74 years by 2018, then mostly dipped to about 71.9 years in 2010 and again slid from 73.3 in 2020 to 71.9 in 2021 before edging back to 72.6 in 2023, a reminder that progress can be real and still vulnerable to bad years.
Country/Region
1Life expectancy at birth in Japan was 84.2 years in 2022[2]
Single source
2Life expectancy at birth in Switzerland was 83.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
3Life expectancy at birth in Singapore was 83.6 years in 2022[2]
Directional
4Life expectancy at birth in Spain was 83.5 years in 2022[2]
Verified
5Life expectancy at birth in Italy was 83.4 years in 2022[2]
Directional
6Life expectancy at birth in France was 82.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
7Life expectancy at birth in Australia was 83.4 years in 2022[2]
Verified
8Life expectancy at birth in Canada was 82.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
9Life expectancy at birth in the United States was 77.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
10Life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom was 81.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
11Life expectancy at birth in Germany was 81.2 years in 2022[2]
Verified
12Life expectancy at birth in Sweden was 82.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
13Life expectancy at birth in Norway was 82.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
14Life expectancy at birth in Finland was 81.8 years in 2022[2]
Verified
15Life expectancy at birth in Denmark was 80.7 years in 2022[2]
Verified
16Life expectancy at birth in Netherlands was 82.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
17Life expectancy at birth in Belgium was 81.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
18Life expectancy at birth in Austria was 81.7 years in 2022[2]
Verified
19Life expectancy at birth in Portugal was 82.2 years in 2022[2]
Verified
20Life expectancy at birth in Greece was 82.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
21Life expectancy at birth in Ireland was 82.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
22Life expectancy at birth in Iceland was 82.8 years in 2022[2]
Verified
23Life expectancy at birth in Israel was 82.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
24Life expectancy at birth in South Korea was 83.1 years in 2022[2]
Single source
25Life expectancy at birth in Taiwan was 80.8 years in 2022[2]
Directional
26Life expectancy at birth in China was 77.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
27Life expectancy at birth in India was 69.4 years in 2022[2]
Verified
28Life expectancy at birth in Indonesia was 70.8 years in 2022[2]
Single source
29Life expectancy at birth in Brazil was 74.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
30Life expectancy at birth in Mexico was 75.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
31Life expectancy at birth in Argentina was 76.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
32Life expectancy at birth in Colombia was 72.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
33Life expectancy at birth in South Africa was 64.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
34Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 53.8 years in 2022[2]
Verified
35Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 64.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
36Life expectancy at birth in Kenya was 66.8 years in 2022[2]
Single source
37Life expectancy at birth in Tanzania was 65.3 years in 2022[2]
Single source
38Life expectancy at birth in Uganda was 62.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
39Life expectancy at birth in Ghana was 63.2 years in 2022[2]
Verified
40Life expectancy at birth in Morocco was 75.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
41Life expectancy at birth in Egypt was 71.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
42Life expectancy at birth in Algeria was 77.2 years in 2022[2]
Verified
43Life expectancy at birth in Saudi Arabia was 75.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
44Life expectancy at birth in United Arab Emirates was 78.0 years in 2022[2]
Directional
45Life expectancy at birth in Turkey was 78.6 years in 2022[2]
Single source
46Life expectancy at birth in Russia was 70.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
47Life expectancy at birth in Ukraine was 71.4 years in 2022[2]
Verified
48Life expectancy at birth in Belarus was 73.0 years in 2022[2]
Directional
49Life expectancy at birth in Poland was 75.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
50Life expectancy at birth in Czechia was 79.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
51Life expectancy at birth in Hungary was 75.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
52Life expectancy at birth in Slovakia was 74.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
53Life expectancy at birth in Romania was 74.7 years in 2022[2]
Single source
54Life expectancy at birth in Bulgaria was 74.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
55Life expectancy at birth in Latvia was 74.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
56Life expectancy at birth in Lithuania was 73.9 years in 2022[2]
Directional
57Life expectancy at birth in Estonia was 75.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
58Life expectancy at birth in Malawi was 63.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
59Life expectancy at birth in Zimbabwe was 60.2 years in 2022[2]
Single source
60Life expectancy at birth in Mozambique was 56.6 years in 2022[2]
Verified
61Life expectancy at birth in Somalia was 55.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
62Life expectancy at birth in Sudan was 64.0 years in 2022[2]
Directional
63Life expectancy at birth in South Sudan was 57.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
64Life expectancy at birth in Central African Republic was 54.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
65Life expectancy at birth in Chad was 54.3 years in 2022[2]
Verified
66Life expectancy at birth in Democratic Republic of the Congo was 60.4 years in 2022[2]
Verified
67Life expectancy at birth in Burkina Faso was 60.2 years in 2022[2]
Verified
68Life expectancy at birth in Mali was 60.5 years in 2022[2]
Verified
69Life expectancy at birth in Niger was 59.1 years in 2022[2]
Verified
70Life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan was 60.4 years in 2022[2]
Verified
71Life expectancy at birth in Pakistan was 65.9 years in 2022[2]
Directional
72Life expectancy at birth in Bangladesh was 72.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
73Life expectancy at birth in Nepal was 70.4 years in 2022[2]
Single source
74Life expectancy at birth in Sri Lanka was 77.5 years in 2022[2]
Verified
75Life expectancy at birth in Vietnam was 74.8 years in 2022[2]
Verified
76Life expectancy at birth in Thailand was 78.0 years in 2022[2]
Verified
77Life expectancy at birth in Philippines was 69.9 years in 2022[2]
Verified
78Life expectancy at birth in Vietnam was 74.8 years in 2021[2]
Verified
79Life expectancy at birth in Turkey was 78.1 years in 2021[2]
Verified
80Life expectancy at birth in South Korea was 83.0 years in 2021[2]
Verified
81Life expectancy at birth in Japan was 84.3 years in 2021[2]
Directional
82Life expectancy at birth in Switzerland was 83.8 years in 2021[2]
Single source
83Life expectancy at birth in Singapore was 83.4 years in 2021[2]
Directional
84Life expectancy at birth in Spain was 83.4 years in 2021[2]
Directional
85Life expectancy at birth in Canada was 82.0 years in 2021[2]
Verified
86Life expectancy at birth in the United States was 76.4 years in 2021[2]
Directional
87Life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom was 80.9 years in 2021[2]
Verified
88Life expectancy at birth in Russia was 71.5 years in 2021[2]
Verified
Country/Region Interpretation
In 2022, Japan led with about 84 years while the United States sat closer to 77, and the gap to places like Nigeria at roughly 54 and Afghanistan at about 60 is a stark reminder that life expectancy is shaped by far more than genetics, spreadsheets, or good intentions.
Demographic Groups
1Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 61.3 years in 2000[3]
Verified
2Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 64.4 years in 2010[3]
Verified
3Life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia was 66.7 years in 2022[3]
Verified
4Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 46.3 years in 2000[4]
Single source
5Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 52.7 years in 2010[4]
Verified
6Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 55.1 years in 2022[4]
Verified
7Life expectancy at birth in India was 62.5 years in 2000[5]
Verified
8Life expectancy at birth in India was 66.6 years in 2010[5]
Verified
9Life expectancy at birth in India was 67.6 years in 2022[5]
Directional
10Life expectancy at birth in Japan (male) was 81.4 years in 2022[6]
Verified
11Life expectancy at birth in Japan (female) was 87.1 years in 2022[6]
Single source
12Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.2 years in 2022[6]
Verified
13Life expectancy at birth in Japan (male) was 81.4 years in 2021[6]
Verified
14Life expectancy at birth in Japan (female) was 87.2 years in 2021[6]
Directional
15Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.3 years in 2021[6]
Single source
16Life expectancy at birth in the UK (males) was 79.3 years in 2022[7]
Verified
17Life expectancy at birth in the UK (females) was 82.7 years in 2022[7]
Verified
18Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 81.0 years in 2022[7]
Verified
19Life expectancy at birth in the US (males) was 73.2 years in 2022[8]
Verified
20Life expectancy at birth in the US (females) was 78.2 years in 2022[8]
Single source
21Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 75.4 years in 2022[8]
Verified
22Life expectancy at age 60 in the US (both sexes) was 21.6 years in 2022[8]
Verified
23Life expectancy at age 65 in the US (both sexes) was 18.1 years in 2022[8]
Verified
24Life expectancy at age 75 in the US (both sexes) was 10.0 years in 2022[8]
Verified
25Life expectancy at birth in India (male) was 68.2 years in 2022[5]
Verified
26Life expectancy at birth in India (female) was 70.7 years in 2022[5]
Verified
27Life expectancy at birth in India (both sexes) was 69.4 years in 2022[5]
Directional
28Life expectancy at birth in South Africa (male) was 60.7 years in 2022[9]
Verified
29Life expectancy at birth in South Africa (female) was 68.7 years in 2022[9]
Verified
30Life expectancy at birth in South Africa (both sexes) was 64.6 years in 2022[9]
Verified
31Life expectancy at birth in Kenya (male) was 64.6 years in 2022[10]
Verified
32Life expectancy at birth in Kenya (female) was 69.3 years in 2022[10]
Verified
33Life expectancy at birth in Kenya (both sexes) was 66.8 years in 2022[10]
Verified
34Life expectancy at birth in Brazil (male) was 71.1 years in 2022[11]
Verified
35Life expectancy at birth in Brazil (female) was 78.1 years in 2022[11]
Verified
36Life expectancy at birth in Brazil (both sexes) was 74.6 years in 2022[11]
Verified
37Life expectancy at birth in China (male) was 73.5 years in 2022[12]
Directional
38Life expectancy at birth in China (female) was 80.3 years in 2022[12]
Directional
39Life expectancy at birth in China (both sexes) was 77.9 years in 2022[12]
Verified
Demographic Groups Interpretation
These numbers show life expectancy rising in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and India from 2000 to 2022, while Japan, the UK, and the US still make “good health” look like a house rule, and South Africa and parts of Africa reveal how uneven progress can be, with the US also quietly reminding us that reaching 60, 65, and 75 comes with shrinking horizons.
Time Series
1Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.0 years in 2000[8]
Verified
2Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 76.6 years in 2001[8]
Single source
3Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 76.9 years in 2002[8]
Verified
4Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.2 years in 2003[8]
Verified
5Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.4 years in 2004[8]
Verified
6Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.6 years in 2005[8]
Verified
7Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.7 years in 2006[8]
Verified
8Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.9 years in 2007[8]
Directional
9Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.1 years in 2008[8]
Verified
10Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.3 years in 2009[8]
Verified
11Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.5 years in 2010[8]
Single source
12Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.7 years in 2011[8]
Directional
13Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.8 years in 2012[8]
Verified
14Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.9 years in 2013[8]
Verified
15Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.8 years in 2014[8]
Single source
16Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.7 years in 2015[8]
Verified
17Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.7 years in 2016[8]
Verified
18Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.6 years in 2017[8]
Single source
19Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.6 years in 2018[8]
Verified
20Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 78.8 years in 2019[8]
Verified
21Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 77.0 years in 2020[8]
Verified
22Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 76.4 years in 2021[8]
Verified
23Life expectancy at birth in the US (both sexes) was 75.4 years in 2022[8]
Verified
24Life expectancy at birth in the US (males) was 71.9 years in 2022[8]
Verified
25Life expectancy at birth in the US (females) was 79.1 years in 2022[8]
Verified
26Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 78.7 years in 2000[7]
Directional
27Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 79.3 years in 2005[7]
Directional
28Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 79.7 years in 2010[7]
Verified
29Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 80.0 years in 2015[7]
Verified
30Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 80.0 years in 2018[7]
Verified
31Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 78.8 years in 2020[7]
Verified
32Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 79.7 years in 2022[7]
Directional
33Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 80.0 years in 2019[7]
Single source
34Life expectancy at birth in the UK (both sexes) was 80.6 years in 2023[7]
Verified
35Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.6 years in 2010[6]
Verified
36Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.7 years in 2011[6]
Verified
37Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.4 years in 2014[6]
Verified
38Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.5 years in 2015[6]
Verified
39Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.1 years in 2020[6]
Verified
40Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.3 years in 2021[6]
Verified
41Life expectancy at birth in Japan (both sexes) was 84.2 years in 2022[6]
Verified
Time Series Interpretation
From 2000 to 2019 the US steadily inched up in life expectancy, only to drop sharply in 2020 through 2022, while Japan kept hovering around the mid 80s and the UK stayed near 80, suggesting that whatever improved the odds for decades was then severely stress-tested in the early 2020s, with men in the US notably lagging women.
Policy/Impact
1Global life expectancy loss due to COVID-19 was estimated at 1.6 years for 2020 compared with pre-pandemic projections (both sexes, all countries)[13]
Directional
2In 2021, the global life expectancy at birth fell by 1.8 years compared with 2019 (estimate)[14]
Single source
3The WHO reported that 2020 global life expectancy declined by 3 years due to COVID-19 compared with 2019[15]
Verified
4WHO estimated that by 2021, global life expectancy had decreased by 1.8 years because of COVID-19 (compared with 2019)[16]
Verified
5UNFPA reported that in 2020, COVID-19 caused an estimated reduction in life expectancy of 1.6 years globally[17]
Verified
6WHO reported that life expectancy is expected to increase from 2020 to 2030 by around 2 years globally[18]
Verified
7The UN reported that global life expectancy at birth decreased from 72.6 in 2019 to 72.0 in 2020 (difference of 0.6 years)[14]
Verified
8UN reported that global life expectancy at birth increased from 72.0 in 2020 to 72.4 in 2021[14]
Verified
9UN reported that global life expectancy at birth decreased again in 2021 compared to 2019[14]
Verified
10WHO World Health Statistics 2023 estimated that global life expectancy at birth in 2022 was 73.0 years[19]
Verified
11WHO Global Health Observatory reported global life expectancy at birth (years) for 2019 was 72.6[20]
Directional
12WHO GHO indicator life expectancy at birth (years) is available by year from 2000 onwards[20]
Verified
13World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN is the series for life expectancy at birth[21]
Verified
14World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN has annual data for most countries since 1960[22]
Single source
15World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN includes the latest year available for each country[23]
Verified
16UNDP reported that improved life expectancy is a core component of the Human Development Index[24]
Verified
17UNDP Human Development Index uses life expectancy at birth as one of its three dimensions[25]
Directional
18IHME GBD 2019 estimated that global life expectancy at birth in 2019 was 73.0 years[26]
Verified
19IHME GBD 2019 estimated global life expectancy for children born in 2019[26]
Directional
20IHME GBD 2019 provides life expectancy by location, age, and year[26]
Directional
21OECD reported that in 2022, average life expectancy in OECD countries was 80.9 years[27]
Verified
22OECD reported that in 2021, average life expectancy in OECD countries was 80.7 years[27]
Directional
23OECD reported that in 2020, average life expectancy in OECD countries was 80.5 years[27]
Verified
24OECD reported that in 2019, average life expectancy in OECD countries was 80.8 years[27]
Verified
25OECD life expectancy series reports data by sex and at birth[27]
Verified
Policy/Impact Interpretation
Global life expectancy took COVID-19 in the teeth, losing about 1.6 to 3 years around 2020 and dipping further in 2021 in some reports, before drifting back toward the longer-term upward trend that organizations like WHO, UN, World Bank, UNDP, OECD, and IHME keep tracking with slightly different methods and datasets.
Region/Distribution
1Life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 61.6 years in 2019[28]
Verified
2Life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 61.1 years in 2020[28]
Verified
3Life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 61.0 years in 2021[28]
Verified
4Life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 60.9 years in 2022[28]
Single source
5Life expectancy at birth in sub-Saharan Africa was 61.2 years in 2023[28]
Single source
6Life expectancy at birth in North America was 79.0 years in 2019[29]
Verified
7Life expectancy at birth in North America was 78.5 years in 2020[29]
Verified
8Life expectancy at birth in North America was 78.7 years in 2021[29]
Directional
9Life expectancy at birth in North America was 79.0 years in 2022[29]
Verified
10Life expectancy at birth in Europe was 81.5 years in 2019[30]
Verified
11Life expectancy at birth in Europe was 81.0 years in 2020[30]
Verified
12Life expectancy at birth in Europe was 81.3 years in 2021[30]
Verified
13Life expectancy at birth in Europe was 81.6 years in 2022[30]
Verified
14Life expectancy at birth in Europe was 81.7 years in 2023[30]
Verified
15Life expectancy at birth in Asia was 72.1 years in 2019[31]
Verified
16Life expectancy at birth in Asia was 71.8 years in 2020[31]
Verified
17Life expectancy at birth in Asia was 72.0 years in 2021[31]
Verified
18Life expectancy at birth in Asia was 72.3 years in 2022[31]
Verified
19Life expectancy at birth in Latin America and Caribbean was 74.8 years in 2019[32]
Directional
20Life expectancy at birth in Latin America and Caribbean was 74.2 years in 2020[32]
Verified
21Life expectancy at birth in Latin America and Caribbean was 74.4 years in 2021[32]
Single source
22Life expectancy at birth in Latin America and Caribbean was 74.7 years in 2022[32]
Verified
23Life expectancy at birth in Oceania was 75.9 years in 2019[33]
Verified
24Life expectancy at birth in Oceania was 75.4 years in 2020[33]
Verified
25Life expectancy at birth in Oceania was 75.6 years in 2021[33]
Directional
26Life expectancy at birth in Oceania was 75.9 years in 2022[33]
Single source
27Life expectancy at birth in Northern Africa was 72.1 years in 2019[34]
Verified
28Life expectancy at birth in Northern Africa was 71.8 years in 2020[34]
Single source
29Life expectancy at birth in Northern Africa was 71.9 years in 2021[34]
Directional
30Life expectancy at birth in Northern Africa was 72.1 years in 2022[34]
Single source
31Life expectancy at birth in Southern Asia was 69.5 years in 2019[35]
Verified
32Life expectancy at birth in Southern Asia was 69.3 years in 2020[35]
Verified
33Life expectancy at birth in Southern Asia was 69.4 years in 2021[35]
Verified
34Life expectancy at birth in Southern Asia was 69.6 years in 2022[35]
Single source
35Life expectancy at birth in Southeastern Asia was 73.2 years in 2019[36]
Single source
36Life expectancy at birth in Southeastern Asia was 72.8 years in 2020[36]
Directional
37Life expectancy at birth in Southeastern Asia was 73.0 years in 2021[36]
Verified
38Life expectancy at birth in Southeastern Asia was 73.2 years in 2022[36]
Verified
Region/Distribution Interpretation
From 2019 to 2023, life expectancy at birth stayed fairly steady but unequal across regions, with sub-Saharan Africa inching down overall while North America and Europe hovered around high 70s and low 80s, Asia and Southern Asia lingering in the low 70s, and Latin America, Oceania, Northern Africa, and parts of Asia showing small year to year bumps that hint at progress but also persistent gaps.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Life Expectancy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/life-expectancy-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Life Expectancy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/life-expectancy-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Life Expectancy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/life-expectancy-statistics.
References
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- 3ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=ETH
- 4ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=NGA
- 5ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=IND
- 9ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=ZAF
- 10ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=KEN
- 11ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=BRA
- 12ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=CHN
- 28ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~SSF
- 29ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~NAC
- 30ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~EUR
- 31ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~ASI
- 32ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~LCN
- 33ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~OCE
- 34ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~NNA
- 35ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~SAS
- 36ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?tab=chart&country=~SEA
- 2en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy
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- 23data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=ZG
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