Tunisia had the highest projected life expectancy at birth in Africa as of 2025. A newborn infant was expected to live about 77 years in the country. Algeria, Cabo Verde, Morocco, and Mauritius followed, with a life expectancy between 77 and 75 years. On the other hand, Nigeria registered the lowest average, at 54.8 years. Overall, the life expectancy in Africa was just over 64 years in the same year.

This statistic shows average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2013 to 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa includes almost all countries south of the Sahara desert. In 2023, the average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa was 62.6 years.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPDYNLE00INSSA) from 1960 to 2023 about Sub-Saharan Africa, life expectancy, life, and birth.

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.

Healthy life expectancy at birth (years) for African Countries

  Dataset Description

This dataset contains 'Healthy life expectancy at birth (years)' data for all 54 African countries, sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO). The data is structured with years as rows and countries as columns, facilitating time-series analysis. The data is measured in: years. Missing values have been handled using linear interpolation followed by forward and backward filling to… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/Healthy-Life-Expectancy-At-Birth-Years-for-African-Countries.

Life expectancy at birth (years)

  Dataset Description

This dataset provides information on 'Life expectancy at birth' for countries in the WHO African Region. The data is disaggregated by the 'Sex' dimension, allowing for analysis of health inequalities across different population subgroups. Units: years

  Dimensions and Subgroups

Dimension: Sex Available Subgroups: Female, Male

  Data Structure

The dataset is in a wide format.

Index: Year (formatted… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/life-expectancy-at-birthby-sex-for-african-countries.

In 2025, life expectancy at birth in East Africa was higher than the African average of 64 years for the majority of countries in the region. The Seychelles had the highest in the region at around 74 years, whereas Somalia had the lowest life expectancy at about 54 years.

For those born in 2024, the average life expectancy at birth across Africa was 62 years for men and 66 years for women. The average life expectancy globally was 71 years for men and 76 years for women in mid-2024. 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 negative picture. Comparison of life expectancy by continent shows the gap in average life expectancy between Africa and other continents. Africa trails Asia, the continent with the second lowest average life expectancy, by 10 years for men and 11 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 Chad had the lowest life expectancy for those born in 2024 for women and men, 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 significantly from nearly 0.44 to 0.57 between 2000 and 2023, 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 sub-Saharan Africa has decreased from over 1.3 million in 2015 to close to 650,000 in 2024. However, the sub-region still accounts for 50 percent of the total new HIV infections.

Life expectancy at age 60 (years)

  Dataset Description

This dataset provides information on 'Life expectancy at age 60' for countries in the WHO African Region. The data is disaggregated by the 'Sex' dimension, allowing for analysis of health inequalities across different population subgroups. Units: years

  Dimensions and Subgroups

Dimension: Sex Available Subgroups: Female, Male

  Data Structure

The dataset is in a wide format.

Index: Year (formatted… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/life-expectancy-at-age-60by-sex-for-african-countries.

In 2024, the average life expectancy in the world was 71 years for men and 76 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 standards 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 2022, the countries with the highest life expectancy were Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Australia, all at 84–83 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 53–54 years.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Middle East and North Africa (SPDYNLE00INMNA) from 1960 to 2023 about North Africa, Middle East, life expectancy, life, and birth.

This dataset is about countries in Africa. It has 54 rows. It features 2 columns including life expectancy at birth.

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

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

Progress in health outcomes across Africa has been uneven, marked by significant disparities among countries, which not only challenges the global health security but impede progress towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 10 (SDG 3 and SDG 10) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This paper examines the progress of African countries in reducing intra-country health outcome disparities between 2000 and 2019. In other words, the paper investigates the convergence hypothesis in health outcome using a panel data from 40 African countries. Data were sourced from the World Development Indicators, the World Governance Indicators, and the World Health Organization database. Employing a non-linear dynamic factor model, the study focused on three health outcomes: infant mortality rate, under-5 mortality rate, and life expectancy at birth. The findings indicate that while the hypothesis of convergence is not supported for the selected countries, evidence of convergence clubs is observed for the three health outcome variables. The paper further examine the factors contributing to club formation by using the marginal effects of the ordered logit regression model. The findings indicate that the overall impact of the control variables aligns with existing research. Moreover, governance quality and domestic government health expenditure emerge as significant determinants influencing the probability of membership in specific clubs for the child mortality rate models. In the life expectancy model, governance quality significantly drives club formation. The results suggest that there is a need for common health policies for the different convergence clubs, while country-specific policies should be implemented for the divergent countries. For instance, policies and strategies promoting health prioritization in national budget allocation and reallocation should be encouraged within each final club. Efforts to promote good governance policies by emphasizing anti-corruption measures and government effectiveness should also be encouraged. Moreover, there is a need to implement regional monitoring mechanisms to ensure progress in meeting health commitments, while prioritizing urbanization plans in countries with poorer health outcomes to enhance sanitation access.

Historical dataset showing Africa life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

Central African Republic CF: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 55.260 Year in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.387 Year for 2022. Central African Republic CF: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 46.805 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55.260 Year in 2023 and a record low of 12.383 Year in 2009. Central African Republic CF: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Central African Republic – Table CF.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. 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.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;Weighted average;

United States - Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa was 62.60174 Number of Years in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 62.60174 in January of 2023 and a record low of 36.17255 in January of 1950. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Healthy life expectancy (HALE) at age 60 (years)

  Dataset Description

This dataset provides information on 'Healthy life expectancy' for countries in the WHO African Region. The data is disaggregated by the 'Sex' dimension, allowing for analysis of health inequalities across different population subgroups. Units: HALE

  Dimensions and Subgroups

Dimension: Sex Available Subgroups: Female, Male

  Data Structure

The dataset is in a wide format.

Index:… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/healthy-life-expectancyat-age-60by-sex-for-african-countries.

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.