Africa life expectancy for 2025 is 64.64, a 0.41% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Africa life expectancy for 2024 was <strong>64.38</strong>, a <strong>0.41% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Africa life expectancy for 2023 was <strong>64.11</strong>, a <strong>0.45% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Africa life expectancy for 2022 was <strong>63.82</strong>, a <strong>0.46% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Algeria had the highest life expectancy at birth in Africa as of 2023. A newborn infant was expected to live over 77 years in the country. Cabo Verde, Tunisia, and Mauritius followed, with a life expectancy between 77 and 75 years. On the other hand, Chad registered the lowest average, at nearly 54 years. Overall, the life expectancy in Africa was almost 63 years in the same year.

For those born in 2023, the average life expectancy at birth across Africa was 61 years for men and 65 years for women. The average life expectancy globally was 70 years for men and 75 years for women in mid-2023.

Additional information on life expectancy in Africa

With the exception of North Africa where life expectancy is around the worldwide average for men and women, life expectancy across all African regions paints a bleak picture. Comparison of life expectancy by continent shows the gap in average life expectancy between Africa and other continent regions. Africa trails Latin America and the Caribbean, the continent with the second lowest average life expectancy, by 10 years for men and 12 years for women.

Life expectancy in Africa is the lowest globally Moreover, countries from across the African regions dominate the list of countries with the lowest life expectancy worldwide. Nigeria and Lesotho had the lowest life expectancy for those born in 2023 for men and women, respectively. However there is reason for hope despite the low life expectancy rates in many African countries. The Human Development index rating in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased dramatically from 0.43 to 0.55 between 2000 and 2021, demonstrating an improvement in quality of life and as a result greater access to vital services that allow people to live longer lives. One such improvement has been successful efforts to reduce the rate of aids infection and research into combating its effects. The number of new HIV infections across Africa has decreased from around 1.3 million in 2015 to 760,000 in 2022.

South Africa life expectancy for 2025 is 65.32, a 0.34% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Africa life expectancy for 2024 was <strong>65.10</strong>, a <strong>1.57% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Africa life expectancy for 2023 was <strong>66.14</strong>, a <strong>1.05% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Africa life expectancy for 2022 was <strong>65.45</strong>, a <strong>5.55% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Life expectancy from birth in Africa was just over 36 years in 1950. As a wave of independence movements and decolonization swept the continent between the 1950s and early 1970s, life expectancy rose greatly in Africa; particularly due to improvements and control over medical services, better sanitation and the widespread promotion of vaccinations in the country resulted in a sharp decrease in child mortality; one of the most significant reasons for Africa’s low life expectancy rates. Life expectancy in the continent would continue to steadily increase for much of the second half of the 20th century, however, life expectancy would flatline at around 52 years in the latter half of the 1980s, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic quickly grew to become one of the leading causes of death in the continent. After hovering around the low-fifties in the 1980s to and 1990s, life expectancy would begin to rise again at the turn of the millennium, and is estimated to be over 64 years in 2020.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa (SPDYNLE00INSSF) from 1960 to 2023 about Sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy, life, birth, and income.

The average for 2022 based on 53 countries was 61.21 years. The highest value was in Algeria: 75.85 years and the lowest value was in Lesotho: 50.32 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in South Africa was reported at 62.61 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

This statistic shows average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2012 to 2022. Sub-Saharan Africa includes almost all countries south of the Sahara desert. In 2022, the average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa was 60.74 years.

Sub-Saharan Africa life expectancy for 2025 is 62.70, a 0.46% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Sub-Saharan Africa life expectancy for 2024 was <strong>62.41</strong>, a <strong>0.46% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Sub-Saharan Africa life expectancy for 2023 was <strong>62.12</strong>, a <strong>0.52% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Sub-Saharan Africa life expectancy for 2022 was <strong>61.80</strong>, a <strong>0.52% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 64.57 years. The highest value was in Cape Verde: 79.01 years and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 53.97 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in South Africa was reported at 66.14 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total: All Income Levels for Middle East and North Africa (SPDYNLE00INMEA) from 1960 to 2023 about North Africa, Middle East, life expectancy, life, birth, and income.

This dataset is about countries per year in Africa. It has 3,456 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and life expectancy at birth.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in South Africa was reported at 69.6 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for South Africa (SPDYNLE00INZAF) from 1960 to 2023 about life expectancy, life, birth, and South Africa.

The statistic shows the life expectancy with and without AIDS in selected African countries in 2000 and 2010. In 2010, life expectancy with AIDS in Botswana was 29 years.

This horizontal bar chart displays life expectancy at birth (year) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Middle Africa. The data is about countries.

In 2023, the average life expectancy of the world was 70 years for men and 75 years for women. The lowest life expectancies were found in Africa, while Oceania and Europe had the highest.

What is life expectancy?

Life expectancy is defined as a statistical measure of how long a person may live, based on demographic factors such as gender, current age, and most importantly the year of their birth. The most commonly used measure of life expectancy is life expectancy at birth or at age zero. The calculation is based on the assumption that mortality rates at each age were to remain constant in the future.

Life expectancy has changed drastically over time, especially during the past 200 years. In the early 20th century, the average life expectancy at birth in the developed world stood at 31 years. It has grown to an average of 70 and 75 years for males and females respectively, and is expected to keep on growing with advances in medical treatment and living standard continuing.

Highest and lowest life expectancy worldwide

Life expectancy still varies greatly between different regions and countries of the world. The biggest impact on life expectancy is the quality of public health, medical care, and diet. As of 2021, the countries with the highest life expectancy were Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and South Korea, all at 84 years. Most of the countries with the lowest life expectancy are mostly African countries. The ranking was led by the Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho with 53 years.

Male life expectancy of South Africa fell by 1.45% from 59.5 years in 2021 to 58.6 years in 2022. Since the 1.01% improve in 2019, male life expectancy dropped by 6.74% in 2022. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.