Ethiopia vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 67.3 years in Ethiopia and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 1.2 years, or 1.02 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

EthiopiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Ethiopia has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Ethiopia ranked 184 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ethiopia at 81.6 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	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2023	67.3	66.1	73.2
2022	66.9	65.5	72.6
2021	65.3	62	70.9
2020	66	65.2	71.9
2019	65.7	66.1	72.6
2018	65.3	65.7	72.4
2017	64.8	65.4	72.1
2016	64.2	64.8	71.9
2015	63.6	64.1	71.6
2014	62.9	63.2	71.4
2013	62.2	62.4	71.1
2012	61.4	61.7	70.8
2011	60.6	60.6	70.4
2010	59.7	58.9	70.1
2009	58.7	57.4	69.7
2008	57.7	56	69.3
2007	56.6	55	69
2006	55.4	54.2	68.6
2005	54.4	53.9	68.1
2004	53.7	54	67.7
2003	52.9	54.3	67.4
2002	52.1	55.6	67.1
2001	51.4	57.2	66.8
2000	50.9	58.4	66.4
1999	49.5	59.2	66
1998	49.8	59.9	65.7
1997	49.2	60.5	65.5
1996	48.7	61.1	65.2
1995	48.2	61.6	64.9
1994	47.9	62.1	64.3
1993	47.7	62.6	64.4
1992	47.3	62.8	64.3
1991	46.7	63	64.1
1990	45.1	62.9	64
1989	45.6	63	63.8
1988	45.7	62.9	63.4
1987	45.9	62.7	63.2
1986	38.4	62.4	62.7
1985	37.8	62.2	62.2
1984	36.7	61.8	61.9
1983	36.3	61.4	61.5
1982	43.4	60.9	61.3
1981	43.1	60.5	60.9
1980	42.8	60	60.5
1979	42.4	59.5	60.2
1978	41.5	59	59.5
1977	41.4	58.5	59.2
1976	41.3	58	58.6
1975	38.9	57.6	58.3
1974	39.1	57.1	58.1
1973	41.1	56.7	57.7
1972	41	56.4	57.2
1971	42.2	56	56
1970	42.1	55.7	56.3
1969	42.1	55.4	56
1968	42.1	55.2	55.6
1967	41.9	55	55.1
1966	39.3	54.7	54.6
1965	41.4	54.4	54
1964	41.3	54.2	54.3
1963	41	53.9	53.7
1962	40.5	53.6	53.2
1961	40.2	53.1	50.4
1960	39.6	52.6	47.8
1959	39.2	51.9	49.6
1958	32.6	51.2	51.6
1957	32.2	50.2	51.1
1956	37.8	49.2	50.7
1955	37.3	48.2	50.2
1954	37	47.1	49.7
1953	36.6	46.1	48.8
1952	36.2	45.1	48.2
1951	35.9	44.1	47.1
1950	35.5	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2024	67.666.2–69	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	67.965.9–69.8	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	68.265.8–70.5	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	68.465.6–71.2	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	68.765.5–71.7	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	68.965.3–72.4	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	69.265.4–72.9	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	69.465.5–73.3	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	69.665.3–73.6	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	69.965.3–74.1	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	70.165.5–74.4	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	70.365.5–75	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	70.565.3–75.5	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	70.865.3–76	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	7165.3–76.4	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	71.265.3–76.6	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	71.465.2–77	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	71.665.2–77.1	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	71.865.4–77.6	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	7265.3–77.8	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	72.265.2–78.3	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	72.465.4–78.3	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	72.665.6–78.7	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	72.865.6–79.1	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	7365.4–79.4	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	73.166–79.7	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	73.365.6–79.9	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	73.565.7–80.1	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	73.765.7–80.4	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	73.965.9–80.6	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	74.166.1–80.9	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	74.265.8–81	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	74.466–81.4	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	74.665.9–81.6	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	74.866.1–81.9	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	74.966–82.2	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	75.165.7–82.3	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	75.366–82.6	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	75.566.2–82.8	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	75.766.1–83	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	75.866.2–83.3	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	7666.3–83.4	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	76.266.2–83.5	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	76.466.6–83.9	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	76.566.5–84	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	76.766.5–84.2	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	76.966.8–84.5	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	77.167–84.6	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	77.267.2–84.9	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	77.466.8–85	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	77.667.1–85.2	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	77.766.8–85.3	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	77.967–85.5	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	78.167.2–85.7	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	78.267.2–86	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	78.467.3–86	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	78.567.2–86.2	74.564.6–84	80
2081	78.767.4–86.3	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	78.967.6–86.6	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	7967.4–86.8	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	79.267.6–87	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	79.367.8–87.2	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	79.567.8–87.2	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	79.667.9–87.4	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	79.868–87.6	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	79.967.9–87.8	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	80.168.1–88.1	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	80.368.2–88.2	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	80.467.9–88.4	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	80.667.9–88.8	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	80.768.4–88.7	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	80.868.1–88.9	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	8168.4–89.1	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	81.168.5–89.3	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	81.368.7–89.3	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	81.468.5–89.6	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	81.668.5–89.8	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.
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

Ethiopia vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsEthiopia: 102,900 deaths in 2022South Africa: 0 deaths in 2022