In Asia, the highest levels of life expectancy were found in East Asia, reaching 76 years for men and 82 years for women. The lowest levels were found in South Asia.

What is life expectancy

Life expectancy is, in the statistical sense, the number of years to be lived. It is the most common measure to describe population health. The life expectancy is an average and a person may die several years before or several years after their expected survival.

Economic circumstances also affect life expectancy. Life expectancy in the wealthiest countries is higher than in the poorest areas. With a life expectancy of 84 years, Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and South Korea lead the ranking of the 20 countries with the highest life expectancy as of 2021. The countries with the lowest life expectancy in 2021 were Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho.

Gender and life expectancy

The gender differences in life expectancy are significant. Women tend to live several years longer than men. The average life expectancy worldwide of those born in 2023 shows that women had an average life expectancy of 75 years at birth, while men were expected to live 70 years.

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 74.51 years. The highest value was in Macao: 85.38 years and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 62.88 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

As of 2023, life expectancy at birth in the Maldives was approximately **** years. In comparison, life expectancy at birth in Afghanistan was approximately **** years in 2023.

Singapore had the highest life expectancy at birth of all the Southeast Asian countries in 2023, with its citizens expected to live to an average of **** years. Falling behind by almost 20 years was Myanmar, with a life expectancy of **** years old at birth as of 2023. Interestingly, Singapore made the top ten of countries with the highest average life expectancy worldwide. Increasing life expectancyLife expectancy throughout the Southeast Asian region has been rising throughout recent years, likely due to improved healthcare systems. Improvements brought about by increasing healthcare expenditures. The East Asian region also joined Southeast Asia in displaying higher life expectancies at birth, with Hong Kong and Macao all exhibiting life expectancies at birth of over 85 years old. Improved healthcare Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore are just some of the Southeast Asian governments which have released successful universal healthcare plans. As the region faces an aging population, there has been more demand for effective healthcare. Healthcare has been improving not just in the Southeast Asian region but throughout the whole Asia Pacific region, with many countries exhibiting near perfect child immunization rates, offering its citizens better healthcare from birth. With these improvements made, it does not seem surprising that life expectancy at birth has increased.

In 2024, the average life expectancy for males at birth in the Maldives was **** years. Comparatively, the average life expectancy for males at birth in Pakistan was **** years in 2024.

The average for 2022 based on 11 countries was 72.94 years. The highest value was in Singapore: 82.9 years and the lowest value was in Burma (Myanmar): 67.26 years. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This scatter chart displays life expectancy at birth (year) against fertility rate (births per woman) in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries.

This statistic shows the life expectancy at birth in the ASEAN countries in Asia from 2013 to 2023. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2023, the average life expectancy at birth in Cambodia was ***** years.

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.

According to UN world population prospects from 2024, the average life expectancy at birth was projected to stand at around 85.8 years in Hong Kong in 2023, followed by just over 85.5 years in Macao. Life expectancy at birth was forecasted to be approximately 72.9 years in Mongolia as of 2023.

This dataset is about countries in Eastern Asia. It has 5 rows. It features 3 columns: fertility rate, and life expectancy at birth.

This dataset is about countries per year in South-Eastern Asia. It has 704 rows. It features 4 columns: country, birth rate, and life expectancy at birth.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific (SPDYNIMRTINEAP) from 1990 to 2023 about East Asia, Pacific, mortality, infant, and rate.

This scatter chart displays suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) against birth rate (per 1,000 people) in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries.

The average for 2022 based on 11 countries was 2 deaths per 1000 births. The highest value was in Cambodia: 3 deaths per 1000 births and the lowest value was in Singapore: 0 deaths per 1000 births. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, the average female life expectancy at birth in the Maldives was **** years. Comparatively, the average life expectancy for women at birth in Afghanistan was **** years in 2024.

In 2024, the average life expectancy at birth for men in Singapore was 82.3 years. Comparatively, the male life expectancy at birth was **** years in Myanmar. That year, the life expectancy for women in Southeast Asia was also highest in Singapore at around **** years.

Historical chart and dataset showing East Asia & Pacific maternal mortality rate by year from 1985 to 2023.

Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in South Asia was reported at 34.8 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Assumptions on age-specific COVID-19 infection fatality rates (fx).