Life expectancy by country, 1960 to 2024
Monaco had the world's highest life expectancy in 2024 at 86.5 years, with San Marino, Hong Kong, Kuwait, and Switzerland close behind. The median country reached 74.7 years, up from 56.5 in 1960. Nigeria, at 54.6 years, had the lowest.
How it is measured
The figures come from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN): life expectancy at birth, the number of years a newborn would live if the year's mortality rates held for its whole life, one value per country per year. This page covers every country the World Bank reports, about 217 in all; the map colors each country by that year's value as the replay advances.
What the map shows
Between 1960 and 2024 the median country gained 18 years of life expectancy. The fastest gains came in Asia: China rose from 33.4 years in 1960 to 78.0, and India from 45.6 to 72.2. The remaining gap is concentrated in central Africa, where Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic sit in the mid-50s. Among rich countries the United States, at 78.9 years, trails Japan's 84.0 by five years.
Which country has the highest life expectancy?
What is the average life expectancy in the world?
Which countries have the lowest life expectancy?
How much has China's life expectancy increased?
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