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.

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 from birth in Africa was just over 37 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 continent 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 slow down 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 2023.

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.

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.

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.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Life Expectancy At Birth Male Years

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.

South Africa ZA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 59.231 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 58.458 Year for 2015. South Africa ZA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 54.080 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.231 Year in 2016 and a record low of 50.096 Year in 1960. South Africa ZA: 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 South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: 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: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

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.

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.

List of African countries by median age. Niger average age is 14.8, the youngest African country and the youngest country in the world. The African islands of Seychelles is the oldest African country with an average age of 36.8.

South Africa ZA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 62.774 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 61.981 Year for 2015. South Africa ZA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 57.201 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.774 Year in 2016 and a record low of 52.215 Year in 1960. South Africa ZA: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: 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: 2017 Revision, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

In 1870, the average life expectancy in South Africa was 33.5 years from birth. This life expectancy would remain largely unchanged until the late-1910s, where life expectancy would drop to as low as thirty years as a result of the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. In the 1930s, life expectancy in South Africa would begin to steadily rise, peaking at over 63 years in 1995, as industrialization and greater access to healthcare and vaccinations led to significantly reduced child mortality rates across the region. However, life expectancy experienced a sudden drop beginning after 1995, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic spread throughout the country, beginning in the early 1990s. As the epidemic spread through the country, life expectancy would fall by almost 10 years, bottoming out below 54 years in 2005. Life expectancy would begin to rise again beginning in the early 2010s however, as access to HIV counselling and treatments, such as antiretroviral therapy, became more widely available throughout the region. Life expectancy in the country is estimated to be almost 64 years from birth in 2020; a return to the pre-HIV figures of the early 1990s.

List of African countries by median age of the total population and male and female median ages. Niger with an average age of 14.8 years old is the youngest country in Africa and the youngest country in the world.

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

The average for 2023 based on 53 countries was 65.58 years. The highest value was in Tunisia: 76.51 years and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 54.46 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Introduction

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. It is a key metric for assessing population health.

Life expectancy has burgeoned since the advent of industrialization in the early 1900s and the world average has now more than doubled to 70 years. Yet, we still see inequality in life expectancy across and within countries. The study by Acemoglu and Johnson demonstrated the relationship between increased life expectancy and improvement in economic growth (GDP per capita), controlling for country-fixed effects [3]. In the table below, we have shown how life expectancy varies between high-income and low-income countries. However, further analysis is necessary to determine how the allocation of a country’s wealth through certain investments in healthcare, education, environmental management, and some socioeconomic factors have an overall effect in determining average life expectancy.

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The Sub-Saharan African region experiences the lowest life expectancy at birth compared to other regions over the past 3 decades. SSA countries have consistently ranked as the lowest-earning countries in terms of GDP per capita. Therefore, there is a huge scope for improvement in life expectancy in SSA countries and hence our research focuses on the 40 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries with the lowest GDP per capita

Research Questions

After reviewing the rich existing literature on Life Expectancy, we realized the lack of concrete research on understanding the impact of all-encompassing determinants that cover socio-economic and environmental factors for SSA countries using Panel Data techniques. Hence, we tried to address this inadequacy through our research. In this paper, we aim to have a better understanding of factors affecting life expectancy in the SSA region for an efficient policy-making process and better allocation of funds and resources in addressing the prevalence of low life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa. To achieve that we attempt to answer the following questions in this research:

1. What’s the Impact of Expenditure on Health and Education (% of GDP) on Life Expectancy?
2. How does the prevalence of undernourishment and communicable disease Affect Life Expectancy?
3. Do factors like corruption and unemployment rate impact life expectancy? If yes, quantify
4. Increase in CO2 emissions decrease life expectancy? Is it significant?

Data

Main sources of data - World Bank Open Data & Our World in Data

1. Country - 174 countries - list

2. Country Code - 3-letter code

3. Region - region of the world country is located in

4. IncomeGroup - country's income class

5. Year - 2000-2019 (both included)

6. Life expectancy - data

7. Prevalence of Undernourishment (% of the population) - Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normally active and healthy life

8. Carbon dioxide emissions (kiloton) - Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement. They include carbon dioxide produced during the consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring

9. Health Expenditure (% of GDP) - Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT, and stocks of vaccines for emergencies or outbreaks

10. Education Expenditure (% of GDP) - General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditures funded by transfers from international sources to the government. General government usually refers to local, regional, and central governments.

11. Unemployment (% total labor force) - Unemployment refers to the % share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment

12. Corruption (CPIA rating) - Transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector assets the extent to which the executive can be held accountable for its use of funds and for the results of its actions by the electorate and by the legislature and judiciary, and the extent to which public employees within the executive are required to...

South Africa: Life expectancy, in years, female: The latest value from 2022 is 64.18 years, a decline from 65 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 74.94 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for South Africa from 1960 to 2022 is 62.02 years. The minimum value, 54.75 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 69.11 years was recorded in 2019.

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 60.12 years. The highest value was in the Seychelles: 71.8 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.