201 countries and territories · men and women

Life Expectancy by Country

Life expectancy at birth ranges from about 53 years for men in Chad to about 88 years for women in Hong Kong. Worldwide, it is about 71 for men and 76 for women. The table below lists all 201 countries and territories, for men and women, from the UN’s World Population Prospects 2024.

By the Death Clock Calculator editorial team · Last reviewed September 2026 · How we calculate

Want a number for you, not your country? Your age and habits change it a lot. Try the death clock calculator, which starts from these figures.

Which countries have the highest and lowest life expectancy?

Ten highest and ten lowest life expectancies at birth, men. UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimates for 2023. Includes territories.

Rank	Highest	Years	Lowest	Years
1	Hong Kong	82.8	Chad	53.2
2	Australia	82.1	Nigeria	54.2
3	Switzerland	82.0	Lesotho	54.6
4	United Arab Emirates	82.0	South Sudan	54.6
5	French Polynesia	81.8	Central African Republic	55.3
6	Norway	81.8	Somalia	56.4
7	Japan	81.7	Burkina Faso	58.9
8	Qatar	81.6	Mali	59.0
9	Italy	81.6	Benin	59.4
10	Sweden	81.4	Guinea	59.5

Ten highest and ten lowest life expectancies at birth, women. UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimates for 2023. Includes territories.

Rank	Highest	Years	Lowest	Years
1	Hong Kong	88.1	Nigeria	54.7
2	Japan	87.7	Chad	57.0
3	South Korea	87.2	Central African Republic	59.3
4	French Polynesia	86.5	Lesotho	60.0
5	Réunion	86.3	South Sudan	60.6
6	Spain	86.3	Somalia	61.4
7	Singapore	86.2	Mali	61.9
8	France	86.1	Guinea	61.9
9	Switzerland	85.8	Niger	62.1
10	Italy	85.8	Benin	62.2

The top of the list is a mix of East Asian, Western European and Pacific places with strong health systems. The bottom is mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, where infections, maternal deaths and child deaths are still more common. Many of the lowest figures have risen quickly over the past 20 years.

Why do women live longer than men?

Women outlive men in every country in the table, by 5.2 years on average. The gap is widest in Ukraine (13.3), Palestine (11.8), Russia (11.8) and narrowest in Bahrain (1.3), Nigeria (0.6), Togo (0.4). Wars, heavy drinking and smoking tend to widen it. Reasons include:

• Men smoke and drink more in many countries.
• Men die more often from injuries, violence and road crashes, especially when young.
• Men are less likely to see a doctor early.
• Some biological protection for women, especially against heart disease before menopause.

Why does my country’s statistics office show a different number?

National statistics offices and the UN often publish slightly different figures. There are three common reasons:

1. Different years. A national office may publish a newer year before the UN updates.
2. Different methods. The UN uses one consistent method for every country so they can be compared. National offices use their own data and methods.
3. Incomplete records. In countries where not every death is registered, the UN has to estimate part of the picture.

We use the UN figures for every country so that the comparison is fair. Each figure shows its source and data year.

How big are the gaps inside one country?

A single national number hides large differences. Richer people, people in cities with good hospitals and people with more education usually live years longer than poorer people in the same country. Some regions within one country differ as much as neighbouring countries do. The death clock can’t see your income or region, so it uses the national average for your sex.

What does life expectancy at birth mean?

It is how long a baby born now would live on average if today’s death rates stayed the same for its whole life. It is a snapshot, not a forecast. It is also pulled down by deaths in infancy and childhood. That is why adults can usually expect to live past it. See life expectancy by age for the figure at your age.

Frequently asked questions

Source

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, estimates for 2023. population.un.org/wpp. Territories with fewer than 90,000 people are left out.

Top causes of death also differ by country. See how will I die? for WHO figures by country, age and sex. Or go back to the death clock.