Colombia vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 77.7 years in Colombia and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Colombia, by 11.6 years, or 1.18 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

Colombia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Colombia ranked 78 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Colombia at 88.9 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	Colombia	South Africa	World
2023	77.7	66.1	73.2
2022	76.5	65.5	72.6
2021	72.7	62	70.9
2020	74.8	65.2	71.9
2019	76.8	66.1	72.6
2018	76.6	65.7	72.4
2017	76.4	65.4	72.1
2016	76.2	64.8	71.9
2015	76.1	64.1	71.6
2014	76	63.2	71.4
2013	75.8	62.4	71.1
2012	75.6	61.7	70.8
2011	75.2	60.6	70.4
2010	74.9	58.9	70.1
2009	74.5	57.4	69.7
2008	74.2	56	69.3
2007	73.8	55	69
2006	73.5	54.2	68.6
2005	73.2	53.9	68.1
2004	72.8	54	67.7
2003	72.3	54.3	67.4
2002	71.5	55.6	67.1
2001	71.2	57.2	66.8
2000	70.9	58.4	66.4
1999	70.9	59.2	66
1998	70.9	59.9	65.7
1997	70.6	60.5	65.5
1996	70.2	61.1	65.2
1995	69.8	61.6	64.9
1994	69.4	62.1	64.3
1993	69.1	62.6	64.4
1992	68.8	62.8	64.3
1991	68.8	63	64.1
1990	68.7	62.9	64
1989	68.6	63	63.8
1988	68.3	62.9	63.4
1987	68.2	62.7	63.2
1986	68.3	62.4	62.7
1985	65.4	62.2	62.2
1984	68.3	61.8	61.9
1983	68.1	61.4	61.5
1982	67.9	60.9	61.3
1981	67.2	60.5	60.9
1980	66.7	60	60.5
1979	66.2	59.5	60.2
1978	65.8	59	59.5
1977	65.2	58.5	59.2
1976	64.6	58	58.6
1975	64	57.6	58.3
1974	63.5	57.1	58.1
1973	63	56.7	57.7
1972	62.5	56.4	57.2
1971	62	56	56
1970	61.5	55.7	56.3
1969	61	55.4	56
1968	60.6	55.2	55.6
1967	60.2	55	55.1
1966	59.7	54.7	54.6
1965	59.3	54.4	54
1964	58.8	54.2	54.3
1963	58.3	53.9	53.7
1962	57.7	53.6	53.2
1961	57.2	53.1	50.4
1960	56.6	52.6	47.8
1959	55.9	51.9	49.6
1958	54.7	51.2	51.6
1957	54.1	50.2	51.1
1956	52.5	49.2	50.7
1955	51.9	48.2	50.2
1954	51.3	47.1	49.7
1953	50.6	46.1	48.8
1952	49.8	45.1	48.2
1951	49	44.1	47.1
1950	48.3	43.1	46.4
1944	41.9	–	–
1940	38	–	–
1938	36.6	–	–
1930	34	–	–
1920	32	–	–
1918	32	–	–
1910	31	–	–
1900	29	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Colombia	South Africa	World
2024	77.976.9–79	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	78.176.6–79.5	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	78.376.4–80	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	78.576.4–80.5	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	78.676.4–80.9	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	78.876.3–81.3	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	7976.2–81.6	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	79.276.2–81.9	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	79.476.2–82.3	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	79.676–82.5	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	79.775.8–82.9	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	79.976–83.2	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	80.176.1–83.5	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	80.376.2–83.7	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	80.476.2–84	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	80.676.3–84.3	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	80.876.3–84.4	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	8176.4–84.8	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	81.176.5–85.1	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	81.376.4–85.2	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	81.576.7–85.4	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	81.676.7–85.8	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	81.876.8–85.9	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	8276.9–86.2	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	82.176.9–86.3	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	82.377–86.5	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	82.476.8–86.7	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	82.677–87	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	82.877.1–87.3	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	82.977–87.4	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	83.177–87.6	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	83.277.2–87.8	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	83.477.1–88.1	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	83.577.2–88.3	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	83.777.2–88.5	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	83.877.5–88.5	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	8477.5–88.8	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	84.177.6–88.9	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	84.277.6–89.1	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	84.477.9–89.5	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	84.578.1–89.7	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	84.778.4–89.9	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	84.878.2–90.2	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	84.978.4–90.2	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	85.178.4–90.6	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	85.278.6–90.7	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	85.378.7–91	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	85.578.8–91.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	85.679–91.4	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	85.779.1–91.6	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	85.979.3–91.9	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	8679.2–92.1	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	86.179.4–92.2	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	86.279.6–92.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	86.379.8–92.5	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	86.579.8–92.7	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	86.680.1–92.9	74.564.6–84	80
2081	86.779.9–93.1	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	86.880.3–93.3	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	8780.3–93.5	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	87.180.6–93.7	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	87.280.6–94.1	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	87.380.8–94.3	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	87.480.7–94.2	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	87.680.8–94.6	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	87.780.9–94.7	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	87.881.1–94.7	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	87.981.2–94.9	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	8881.1–95.1	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	88.181.4–95.4	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	88.281.3–95.5	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	88.381.3–95.7	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	88.581.6–95.9	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	88.681.4–96	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	88.781.6–96.2	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	88.881.8–96.2	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	88.982.1–96.5	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

Colombia vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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