Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was below 39 years in the year 1765, and over the course of the next two and a half centuries, it is expected to have increased by more than double, to 81.1 by the year 2020. Although life expectancy has generally increased throughout the UK's history, there were several times where the rate deviated from its previous trajectory. These changes were the result of smallpox epidemics in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, new sanitary and medical advancements throughout time (such as compulsory vaccination), and the First world War and Spanish Flu epidemic in the 1910s.

In 2022 life expectancy for both males and females at birth fell when compared to 2021. Male life expectancy fell from 78.71 years to 78.57 years, and from 82.68 years to 82.57 years for women.

Period life expectancy by age and sex for the UK. Each national life table is based on population estimates, births and deaths for a period of three consecutive years. Tables are published annually.

In 2022, the life expectancy at birth for women born in the UK was 82.57 years, compared with 78.57 years for men. By age 65 men had a life expectancy of 18.25 years, compared with 20.76 years for women.

United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 80.956 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 80.956 Year for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 75.380 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.305 Year in 2014 and a record low of 70.827 Year in 1963. United Kingdom UK: 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 UK – Table UK.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;

Pivot table for healthy life expectancy by sex and area type, divided by three-year intervals starting from 2011 to 2013.

Between 1980 and 2022, life expectancy at 65 has increased for males and females in the United Kingdom. For men life expectancy has grown by around 5.29 years, while for women it has increased by about 3.85 years.

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in United Kingdom was reported at 79.36 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Period life expectancy by age and sex. Each life table is based on population estimates, births and deaths for a single year.

United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 79.200 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 79.200 Year for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 72.600 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 79.500 Year in 2014 and a record low of 67.900 Year in 1963. United Kingdom UK: 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 United Kingdom – Table UK.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;

United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data was reported at 82.800 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 82.800 Year for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 78.300 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.200 Year in 2014 and a record low of 73.900 Year in 1963. United Kingdom UK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.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;

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in United Kingdom was reported at 81.24 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The United Kingdom: Life expectancy, in years, female: The latest value from 2022 is 83.8 years, an increase from 82.8 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 74.94 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2022 is 78.8 years. The minimum value, 73.9 years, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 83.8 years was recorded in 2022.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for the United Kingdom (SPDYNLE00INGBR) from 1960 to 2023 about life expectancy, life, birth, and United Kingdom.

Period life expectancy by age and sex for 1980 to 2023 for England, Wales (and combined), Scotland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and the UK. Each life table is based on population estimates, births and deaths for a single year.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in United Kingdom was reported at 83.21 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

School life expectancy, primary, male (years) in United Kingdom was reported at 6.0738 years in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - School life expectancy, primary, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

For data sources see Table S1, Table S2, Table S3, , Table S5.

The United Kingdom: Life expectancy, in years: The latest value from 2023 is 81.24 years, an increase from 81.01 years in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 73.65 years, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2023 is 76.2 years. The minimum value, 70.83 years, was reached in 1963 while the maximum of 81.37 years was recorded in 2019.