Cameroon vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 63.7 years in Cameroon and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2.4 years, or 1.04 times that in Cameroon.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

CameroonSouth AfricaEstimates, Our World in DataUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2009, when it overtook Cameroon.
In 2023, Cameroon ranked 207 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Cameroon at 77.1 years and South Africa at 77.3 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 73.2 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	Cameroon	South Africa	World
2023	63.7	66.1	73.2
2022	62.4	65.5	72.6
2021	61.2	62	70.9
2020	61.7	65.2	71.9
2019	61.7	66.1	72.6
2018	61.2	65.7	72.4
2017	60.8	65.4	72.1
2016	60.3	64.8	71.9
2015	59.7	64.1	71.6
2014	59.1	63.2	71.4
2013	58.7	62.4	71.1
2012	58.2	61.7	70.8
2011	57.5	60.6	70.4
2010	57	58.9	70.1
2009	56.5	57.4	69.7
2008	56.1	56	69.3
2007	55.7	55	69
2006	55.3	54.2	68.6
2005	54.9	53.9	68.1
2004	54.6	54	67.7
2003	54.3	54.3	67.4
2002	53.9	55.6	67.1
2001	53.6	57.2	66.8
2000	53.3	58.4	66.4
1999	53.2	59.2	66
1998	53	59.9	65.7
1997	53.1	60.5	65.5
1996	53.2	61.1	65.2
1995	53.4	61.6	64.9
1994	53.5	62.1	64.3
1993	53.9	62.6	64.4
1992	54.1	62.8	64.3
1991	54.2	63	64.1
1990	54.4	62.9	64
1989	54.4	63	63.8
1988	54.4	62.9	63.4
1987	54.2	62.7	63.2
1986	53.6	62.4	62.7
1985	53.5	62.2	62.2
1984	52.9	61.8	61.9
1983	52.5	61.4	61.5
1982	51.8	60.9	61.3
1981	51.2	60.5	60.9
1980	50.9	60	60.5
1979	50.5	59.5	60.2
1978	50.3	59	59.5
1977	50.1	58.5	59.2
1976	50	58	58.6
1975	49.9	57.6	58.3
1974	49.7	57.1	58.1
1973	49.5	56.7	57.7
1972	49.1	56.4	57.2
1971	48.6	56	56
1970	48	55.7	56.3
1969	47.2	55.4	56
1968	46.4	55.2	55.6
1967	45.6	55	55.1
1966	44.8	54.7	54.6
1965	44.2	54.4	54
1964	43.6	54.2	54.3
1963	43.1	53.9	53.7
1962	42.6	53.6	53.2
1961	35.2	53.1	50.4
1960	34.7	52.6	47.8
1959	39.8	51.9	49.6
1958	39.1	51.2	51.6
1957	38.3	50.2	51.1
1956	38.4	49.2	50.7
1955	37.5	48.2	50.2
1954	36.5	47.1	49.7
1953	35.5	46.1	48.8
1952	34.6	45.1	48.2
1951	33.9	44.1	47.1
1950	33.1	43.1	46.4
1931	28.8	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Cameroon	South Africa	World
2024	6462.4–65.4	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	64.362.1–66.4	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	64.562–67.2	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	64.861.8–67.9	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	6561.8–68.6	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	65.361.6–69.1	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	65.561.6–69.6	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	65.861.7–70.1	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	6661.8–70.4	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	66.261.7–70.8	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	66.461.7–71.4	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	66.661.6–71.7	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	66.961.6–72.1	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	67.161.7–72.5	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	67.361.9–72.8	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	67.561.8–73.1	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	67.761.8–73.5	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	67.861.8–74	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	6861.8–74.2	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	68.261.8–74.4	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	68.461.7–74.9	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	68.661.7–75.4	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	68.861.8–75.7	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	6961.7–76.1	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	69.262.1–76.2	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	69.361.7–76.8	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	69.561.7–77.2	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	69.761.9–77.4	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	69.961.9–77.6	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	7061.8–77.8	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	70.261.9–78.2	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	70.362–78.5	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	70.561.9–79	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	70.761.8–79.2	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	70.861.9–79.2	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	7161.9–79.5	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	71.162–79.7	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	71.362.2–79.8	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	71.462.2–80.1	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	71.662.2–80.5	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	71.862.4–80.7	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	71.962.4–81	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	72.162.5–81.3	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	72.262.5–81.6	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	72.462.6–81.8	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	72.562.5–82.1	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	72.762.5–82.5	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	72.962.7–82.8	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	7363–82.9	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	73.262.8–83	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	73.362.6–83.3	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	73.562.8–83.5	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	73.662.8–83.8	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	73.862.8–84.2	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	73.963–84.2	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	74.162.9–84.5	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	74.263.1–84.7	74.564.6–84	80
2081	74.363.4–84.7	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	74.563.2–84.9	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	74.663.5–85	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	74.863.6–85.1	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	74.963.7–85.3	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	75.163.8–85.4	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	75.263.8–85.4	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	75.464.1–85.8	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	75.564.2–86	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	75.764.1–86.1	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	75.864.1–86.4	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	75.964.1–86.6	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	76.164.3–86.9	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	76.264.3–86.8	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	76.464.3–86.9	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	76.564.3–87	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	76.764.3–87.1	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	76.864.2–87.3	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	7764.1–87.5	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	77.164.2–87.9	77.365.5–87.1	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

Cameroon vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

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