China vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 78 years in China and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in China, by 11.8 years, or 1.18 times that in South Africa.

ChinaSouth Africa

Watch it change on the map

years · UN · log scale

All years Since 1950 Since 1990 Since 2010

Values Change

Linear Log

World Projection

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

Latest figures

years · UN

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2023	Projected
China	78 2023	76.5	73 of 229	89.8 2100
South Africa	66.1 2023	62.4	194 of 229	77.3 2100
World	73.2 2023	71.1		81.7 2100

What the numbers say

China has been higher since 1969.
In 2023, China ranked 73 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts China at 89.8 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	China	South Africa	World
2023	78	66.1	73.2
2022	78.2	65.5	72.6
2021	78.1	62	70.9
2020	78	65.2	71.9
2019	77.9	66.1	72.6
2018	77.7	65.7	72.4
2017	77.2	65.4	72.1
2016	77.2	64.8	71.9
2015	77	64.1	71.6
2014	76.7	63.2	71.4
2013	76.5	62.4	71.1
2012	76.2	61.7	70.8
2011	75.9	60.6	70.4
2010	75.7	58.9	70.1
2009	75.3	57.4	69.7
2008	74.8	56	69.3
2007	74.8	55	69
2006	74.4	54.2	68.6
2005	74.1	53.9	68.1
2004	73.7	54	67.7
2003	73.4	54.3	67.4
2002	73	55.6	67.1
2001	72.7	57.2	66.8
2000	72.3	58.4	66.4
1999	72	59.2	66
1998	71.6	59.9	65.7
1997	71.2	60.5	65.5
1996	70.8	61.1	65.2
1995	70.4	61.6	64.9
1994	69.8	62.1	64.3
1993	69.5	62.6	64.4
1992	69.1	62.8	64.3
1991	68.6	63	64.1
1990	68.2	62.9	64
1989	67.9	63	63.8
1988	67.6	62.9	63.4
1987	67.3	62.7	63.2
1986	66.9	62.4	62.7
1985	66.5	62.2	62.2
1984	66.2	61.8	61.9
1983	65.7	61.4	61.5
1982	65.3	60.9	61.3
1981	64.8	60.5	60.9
1980	64.2	60	60.5
1979	63.7	59.5	60.2
1978	63.1	59	59.5
1977	62.5	58.5	59.2
1976	61.2	58	58.6
1975	61	57.6	58.3
1974	60.2	57.1	58.1
1973	59.5	56.7	57.7
1972	58.6	56.4	57.2
1971	57.7	56	56
1970	56.8	55.7	56.3
1969	56	55.4	56
1968	55.2	55.2	55.6
1967	54.4	55	55.1
1966	53.7	54.7	54.6
1965	53	54.4	54
1964	52.3	54.2	54.3
1963	51.7	53.9	53.7
1962	51	53.6	53.2
1961	40.2	53.1	50.4
1960	33.4	52.6	47.8
1959	40.2	51.9	49.6
1958	48.8	51.2	51.6
1957	48.4	50.2	51.1
1956	47.8	49.2	50.7
1955	47.2	48.2	50.2
1954	46.8	47.1	49.7
1953	45.9	46.1	48.8
1952	45.3	45.1	48.2
1951	44.6	44.1	47.1
1950	43.8	43.1	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	China	South Africa	World
2024	7876.6–79.4	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	78.476.6–80.1	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	7977–80.9	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	79.276.9–81.3	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	79.476.9–81.7	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	79.676.8–82	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	79.876.8–82.5	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	8076.7–82.6	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	80.277–83	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	80.476.8–83.5	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	80.677.1–83.8	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	80.877.1–84	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	8177.1–84.3	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	81.277.1–84.7	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	81.477.2–84.9	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	81.577.2–85.2	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	81.777.4–85.4	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	81.977.2–85.6	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	82.177.4–85.8	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	82.277.4–86.2	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	82.477.5–86.3	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	82.677.7–86.5	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	82.777.7–86.8	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	82.977.9–86.9	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	83.177.7–87.1	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	83.277.9–87.3	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	83.477.9–87.5	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	83.577.9–87.7	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	83.778.2–88	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	83.878.2–88.4	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	8478.4–88.4	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	84.178.4–88.7	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	84.378.8–89.1	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	84.578.8–89.4	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	84.679.1–89.6	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	84.779–89.6	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	84.979.2–89.9	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	8579.4–90	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	85.279.4–90.2	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	85.379.4–90.4	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	85.579.7–90.5	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	85.680–90.9	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	85.779.9–91.1	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	85.980.1–91.2	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	8680.1–91.5	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	86.180.2–91.6	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	86.380.4–91.7	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	86.480.4–91.9	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	86.580.5–92.2	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	86.680.8–92.4	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	86.881.1–92.7	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	86.981.1–92.9	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	8781.1–93.1	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	87.181.2–93.2	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	87.381.5–93.5	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	87.481.4–93.6	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	87.581.5–93.8	74.564.6–84	80
2081	87.681.7–93.8	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	87.781.9–94.1	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	87.881.9–94.1	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	8882.2–94.2	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	88.182.3–94.5	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	88.282.4–94.7	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	88.382.6–94.9	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	88.482.7–95.1	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	88.582.9–95.2	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	88.783–95.3	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	88.883–95.4	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	88.983–95.7	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	8982.9–95.9	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	89.183–95.9	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	89.283.1–96.2	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	89.483.2–96.3	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	89.583.3–96.5	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	89.683.2–96.6	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	89.783.4–96.9	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	89.883.5–97.2	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