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.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in United States was reported at 81.1 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

In 2024, the average life expectancy for those born in more developed countries was 76 years for men and 82 years for women. On the other hand, the respective numbers for men and women born in the least developed countries were 64 and 69 years. Improved health care has lead to higher life expectancy Life expectancy is the measure of how long a person is expected to live. Life expectancy varies worldwide and involves many factors such as diet, gender, and environment. As medical care has improved over the years, life expectancy has increased worldwide. Introduction to health care such as vaccines has significantly improved the lives of millions of people worldwide. The average worldwide life expectancy at birth has steadily increased since 2007, but dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Life expectancy worldwide More developed countries tend to have higher life expectancies, for a multitude of reasons. Health care infrastructure and quality of life tend to be higher in more developed countries, as is access to clean water and food. Africa was the continent that had the lowest life expectancy for both men and women in 2023, while Oceania had the highest for men and Europe and Oceania had the highest for women.

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in United States was reported at 75.8 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

This table contains 2394 series, with data for years 1991 - 1991 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 items: Canada ...), Population group (19 items: Entire cohort; Income adequacy quintile 1 (lowest);Income adequacy quintile 2;Income adequacy quintile 3 ...), Age (14 items: At 25 years; At 30 years; At 40 years; At 35 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Females; Males ...), Characteristics (3 items: Life expectancy; High 95% confidence interval; life expectancy; Low 95% confidence interval; life expectancy ...).

Period life expectancy at birth and other age groups at regional and local authority levels in constituent countries of Great Britain.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Greenland was reported at 71.55 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Greenland - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Men born in Chad have the lowest life expectancy in the world as of 2024, reaching only ** years. The lowest life expectancy for women in the world in 2024 was for girls born in Nigeria, with only ** years. Except for Afghanistan, all the countries with the lowest life expectancy in the world are in Africa.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Greenland was reported at 73.45 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Greenland - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Forecast: Female Life Expectancy at 65 in Italy 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Data Series: Life expectancy at age 60, by sex Indicator: III.10 - Life expectancy at age 60, by sex Source year: 2024 This dataset is part of the Minimum Gender Dataset compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division. Domain: Health and related services

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Canada was reported at 79.51 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Canada - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

This table contains mortality indicators by sex for Canada and all provinces except Prince Edward Island. These indicators are derived from three-year complete life tables. Mortality indicators derived from single-year life tables are also available (table 13-10-0837). For Prince Edward Island, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, mortality indicators derived from three-year abridged life tables are available (table 13-10-0140).

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Germany was reported at 80.54 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Germany - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

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Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in United States was reported at 78.39 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Forecast: Female Life Expectancy at 65 in the US 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2024, the average life expectancy at birth for women in Hong Kong amounted to **** years. Comparatively, the average female life expectancy at birth in North Korea was approximately **** years in 2024.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in Japan was reported at 87.14 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Brazil was reported at 72.76 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Brazil - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.