Japan had the highest life expectancy at birth of the G7 countries between 2000 and 2025, reaching **. On the other hand, life expectancy in the United States was ***** years, the only one of the seven where it was below 80. Life expectancy dropped in all G7 countries following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Introduction

Life Expectancy Statistics: Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live based on current mortality rates in a specific population.

It is influenced by healthcare quality, lifestyle choices, economic conditions, genetics, environmental factors, and social determinants like education and public health policies.

Typically measured as life expectancy at birth, it reflects the average lifespan of a newborn. However, it can also be assessed for older ages, such as 65, to predict additional years of life.

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.

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

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

In 2025, life expectancy at birth in Southern Africa was noticeably lower than the African average of 64 years. Lesotho had the lowest in the region at around 52 years, whereas South Africa had the highest life expectancy at 61.5 years.

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

Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia was 74.79987 Number of Years in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 74.79987 in January of 2023 and a record low of 54.67285 in January of 1950. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

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.

This dataset provides values for SCHOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY PRIMARY GENDER PARITY INDEX WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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

This dataset provides values for SCHOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY PRIMARY GENDER PARITY INDEX WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Monaco had the highest life expectancy among both men and women worldwide as of 2024. That year, life expectancy for men and women was ** and ** years, respectively. The East Asian countries and regions, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Macao, followed. Many of the countries on the list are struggling with aging populations and a declining workforce as more people enter retirement age compared to people entering employment.

This dataset provides values for SCHOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY PRIMARY GENDER PARITY INDEX WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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

This dataset provides values for SCHOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY PRIMARY GENDER PARITY INDEX WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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 August of 2025.

The significant increase in life expectancy over the past 75 years has largely been driven by reductions in infant and child mortality, and has seen life expectancy from birth increase by 27 years between 1950 and 2024. However, this is not the only driver of increased life expectancy, as humanity has also become much better at prolonging life for adults. In 1950, 65-year-olds could expect to live for another 11 years on average, while this has risen to almost 18 years in 2025. The notable dips in life expectancy are due to China's Great Leap Forward around 1960, famine and conflict in Asia (especially Bangladesh) around 1970, and the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s.

Global life expectancy at birth has risen significantly since the mid-1900s, from roughly 46 years in 1950 to 73.2 years in 2023. Post-COVID-19 projections There was a drop of 1.7 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2019 and 2021, however, figures resumed upon their previous trajectory the following year due to the implementation of vaccination campaigns and the lower severity of later strains of the virus. By the end of the century it is believed that global life expectancy from birth will reach 82 years, although growth will slow in the coming decades as many of the more-populous Asian countries reach demographic maturity. However, there is still expected to be a wide gap between various regions at the end of the 2100s, with the Europe and North America expected to have life expectancies around 90 years, whereas Sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to be in the low-70s. The Great Leap Forward While a decrease of one year during the COVID-19 pandemic may appear insignificant, this is the largest decline in life expectancy since the "Great Leap Forward" in China in 1958, which caused global life expectancy to fall by almost four years between by 1960. The "Great Leap Forward" was a series of modernizing reforms, which sought to rapidly transition China's agrarian economy into an industrial economy, but mismanagement led to tens of millions of deaths through famine and disease.