Afghanistan vs China: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 66 years in Afghanistan and 78 years in China, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in China, by 11.9 years, or 1.18 times that in Afghanistan.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

AfghanistanChinaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Afghanistan ranked 196 and China ranked 73 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Afghanistan at 77.3 years and China at 89.8 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 73.2 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	Afghanistan	China	World
2023	66	78	73.2
2022	65.6	78.2	72.6
2021	60.4	78.1	70.9
2020	61.5	78	71.9
2019	62.9	77.9	72.6
2018	62.4	77.7	72.4
2017	62.4	77.2	72.1
2016	62.7	77.2	71.9
2015	62.3	77	71.6
2014	62.3	76.7	71.4
2013	62.2	76.5	71.1
2012	61.7	76.2	70.8
2011	61.3	75.9	70.4
2010	60.7	75.7	70.1
2009	60.3	75.3	69.7
2008	59.7	74.8	69.3
2007	59	74.8	69
2006	58.6	74.4	68.6
2005	58.3	74.1	68.1
2004	57.8	73.7	67.7
2003	57.2	73.4	67.4
2002	56.2	73	67.1
2001	55.5	72.7	66.8
2000	55	72.3	66.4
1999	54.5	72	66
1998	52.5	71.6	65.7
1997	53.2	71.2	65.5
1996	52.8	70.8	65.2
1995	52.1	70.4	64.9
1994	51	69.8	64.3
1993	51	69.5	64.4
1992	46.6	69.1	64.3
1991	45.5	68.6	64.1
1990	45.1	68.2	64
1989	44.5	67.9	63.8
1988	43.2	67.6	63.4
1987	38.8	67.3	63.2
1986	38.4	66.9	62.7
1985	32.1	66.5	62.2
1984	31.5	66.2	61.9
1983	36.5	65.7	61.5
1982	36.1	65.3	61.3
1981	39.4	64.8	60.9
1980	39.3	64.2	60.5
1979	38.8	63.7	60.2
1978	40.1	63.1	59.5
1977	41.1	62.5	59.2
1976	40.5	61.2	58.6
1975	40	61	58.3
1974	39.5	60.2	58.1
1973	39	59.5	57.7
1972	38.4	58.6	57.2
1971	37.9	57.7	56
1970	37.5	56.8	56.3
1969	37	56	56
1968	36.5	55.2	55.6
1967	36	54.4	55.1
1966	35.6	53.7	54.6
1965	35.1	53	54
1964	34.7	52.3	54.3
1963	34.2	51.7	53.7
1962	33.8	51	53.2
1961	33.3	40.2	50.4
1960	32.8	33.4	47.8
1959	32.3	40.2	49.6
1958	31.8	48.8	51.6
1957	31.4	48.4	51.1
1956	30.8	47.8	50.7
1955	30.4	47.2	50.2
1954	29.7	46.8	49.7
1953	29.5	45.9	48.8
1952	29	45.3	48.2
1951	28.6	44.6	47.1
1950	28.2	43.8	46.4
1949	–	41	–
1942	–	37	–
1936	–	35	–
1934	–	34	–
1930	–	32	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Afghanistan	China	World
2024	66.364.9–67.7	7876.6–79.4	73.3
2025	66.564.5–68.5	78.476.6–80.1	73.5
2026	66.864.2–69.3	7977–80.9	73.8
2027	6764.1–69.8	79.276.9–81.3	73.9
2028	67.264.2–70.3	79.476.9–81.7	74.1
2029	67.464.1–70.8	79.676.8–82	74.2
2030	67.664.2–71.2	79.876.8–82.5	74.4
2031	67.864.1–71.7	8076.7–82.6	74.5
2032	6864–71.9	80.277–83	74.7
2033	68.263.8–72.3	80.476.8–83.5	74.8
2034	68.463.9–72.7	80.677.1–83.8	75
2035	68.663.8–73	80.877.1–84	75.1
2036	68.863.8–73.5	8177.1–84.3	75.3
2037	6963.9–73.8	81.277.1–84.7	75.4
2038	69.163.9–74.2	81.477.2–84.9	75.5
2039	69.364–74.4	81.577.2–85.2	75.7
2040	69.564.1–74.7	81.777.4–85.4	75.8
2041	69.664–75.3	81.977.2–85.6	75.9
2042	69.864.1–75.5	82.177.4–85.8	76.1
2043	69.964.2–75.8	82.277.4–86.2	76.2
2044	70.164.1–76	82.477.5–86.3	76.3
2045	70.264.2–76	82.677.7–86.5	76.5
2046	70.464.4–76.3	82.777.7–86.8	76.6
2047	70.564.5–76.4	82.977.9–86.9	76.7
2048	70.664.5–76.7	83.177.7–87.1	76.8
2049	70.864.4–77.1	83.277.9–87.3	76.9
2050	70.964.5–77.5	83.477.9–87.5	77
2051	71.164.5–77.5	83.577.9–87.7	77.1
2052	71.264.8–78.1	83.778.2–88	77.2
2053	71.364.8–78.1	83.878.2–88.4	77.3
2054	71.564.7–78.3	8478.4–88.4	77.4
2055	71.664.7–78.7	84.178.4–88.7	77.6
2056	71.864.7–78.9	84.378.8–89.1	77.7
2057	71.964.9–79	84.578.8–89.4	77.8
2058	7264.8–79.3	84.679.1–89.6	77.9
2059	72.265.2–79.4	84.779–89.6	78
2060	72.365–79.6	84.979.2–89.9	78.1
2061	72.465–80	8579.4–90	78.2
2062	72.665.1–80.1	85.279.4–90.2	78.3
2063	72.765.4–80.6	85.379.4–90.4	78.4
2064	72.865.5–80.6	85.579.7–90.5	78.5
2065	7365.3–80.8	85.680–90.9	78.6
2066	73.165.3–81.2	85.779.9–91.1	78.7
2067	73.265.4–81.3	85.980.1–91.2	78.8
2068	73.365.6–81.5	8680.1–91.5	78.9
2069	73.565.5–81.7	86.180.2–91.6	79
2070	73.665.5–81.9	86.380.4–91.7	79.1
2071	73.765.7–81.8	86.480.4–91.9	79.2
2072	73.865.7–82.1	86.580.5–92.2	79.3
2073	7465.8–82.3	86.680.8–92.4	79.4
2074	74.165.8–82.6	86.881.1–92.7	79.4
2075	74.265.8–82.6	86.981.1–92.9	79.5
2076	74.365.7–82.7	8781.1–93.1	79.6
2077	74.565.4–82.9	87.181.2–93.2	79.7
2078	74.665.8–83.1	87.381.5–93.5	79.8
2079	74.765.9–83.2	87.481.4–93.6	79.9
2080	74.966.2–83.5	87.581.5–93.8	80
2081	7566–83.6	87.681.7–93.8	80.1
2082	75.165.8–83.8	87.781.9–94.1	80.2
2083	75.265.9–83.9	87.881.9–94.1	80.3
2084	75.466–84.3	8882.2–94.2	80.3
2085	75.566–84.5	88.182.3–94.5	80.4
2086	75.666.3–84.6	88.282.4–94.7	80.5
2087	75.766.2–84.8	88.382.6–94.9	80.6
2088	75.866.1–84.8	88.482.7–95.1	80.7
2089	7666.1–85	88.582.9–95.2	80.8
2090	76.166–85.3	88.783–95.3	80.9
2091	76.266–85.3	88.883–95.4	81
2092	76.366–85.3	88.983–95.7	81
2093	76.466.4–85.6	8982.9–95.9	81.1
2094	76.666.4–85.9	89.183–95.9	81.2
2095	76.766.2–85.9	89.283.1–96.2	81.3
2096	76.866.1–86.2	89.483.2–96.3	81.4
2097	76.966.3–86.3	89.583.3–96.5	81.5
2098	77.166.5–86.3	89.683.2–96.6	81.6
2099	77.266.5–86.5	89.783.4–96.9	81.7
2100	77.366.7–86.7	89.883.5–97.2	81.7

Each country on its own

Good to know

How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
Before 1950: Our World in Data, long-run life expectancy.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Afghanistan vs China: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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