Germany vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 81.4 years in Germany and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Germany, by 15.2 years, or 1.23 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

Germany has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Germany ranked 41 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Germany at 90.8 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	Germany	South Africa	World
2023	81.4	66.1	73.2
2022	80.6	65.5	72.6
2021	81.1	62	70.9
2020	81	65.2	71.9
2019	81.2	66.1	72.6
2018	80.9	65.7	72.4
2017	80.9	65.4	72.1
2016	80.8	64.8	71.9
2015	80.6	64.1	71.6
2014	80.9	63.2	71.4
2013	80.5	62.4	71.1
2012	80.5	61.7	70.8
2011	80.4	60.6	70.4
2010	80.1	58.9	70.1
2009	79.9	57.4	69.7
2008	79.8	56	69.3
2007	79.7	55	69
2006	79.6	54.2	68.6
2005	79.3	53.9	68.1
2004	79.1	54	67.7
2003	78.5	54.3	67.4
2002	78.5	55.6	67.1
2001	78.4	57.2	66.8
2000	78.1	58.4	66.4
1999	77.8	59.2	66
1998	77.6	59.9	65.7
1997	77.2	60.5	65.5
1996	76.8	61.1	65.2
1995	76.6	61.6	64.9
1994	76.4	62.1	64.3
1993	76.1	62.6	64.4
1992	76	62.8	64.3
1991	75.6	63	64.1
1990	75.3	62.9	64
1989	75.5	63	63.8
1988	75.3	62.9	63.4
1987	75.1	62.7	63.2
1986	74.7	62.4	62.7
1985	74.5	62.2	62.2
1984	74.4	61.8	61.9
1983	73.9	61.4	61.5
1982	73.6	60.9	61.3
1981	73.3	60.5	60.9
1980	73.1	60	60.5
1979	72.9	59.5	60.2
1978	72.6	59	59.5
1977	72.6	58.5	59.2
1976	72	58	58.6
1975	71.5	57.6	58.3
1974	71.7	57.1	58.1
1973	71.4	56.7	57.7
1972	71.2	56.4	57.2
1971	70.9	56	56
1970	70.7	55.7	56.3
1969	70.5	55.4	56
1968	70.6	55.2	55.6
1967	71	55	55.1
1966	70.7	54.7	54.6
1965	70.6	54.4	54
1964	70.7	54.2	54.3
1963	70.1	53.9	53.7
1962	70	53.6	53.2
1961	69.8	53.1	50.4
1960	69.3	52.6	47.8
1959	69.3	51.9	49.6
1958	69.2	51.2	51.6
1957	68.5	50.2	51.1
1956	68.6	49.2	50.7
1955	68.3	48.2	50.2
1954	68.1	47.1	49.7
1953	67.8	46.1	48.8
1952	67.5	45.1	48.2
1951	67.1	44.1	47.1
1950	66.8	43.1	46.4
1946	60.5	–	–
1935	61.5	–	–
1925	57.4	–	–
1915	40.5	–	–
1911	49	–	–
1905	45.5	–	–
1895	42.4	–	–
1885	39.4	–	–
1875	38.4	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Germany	South Africa	World
2024	81.580.7–82.5	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	81.780.4–82.9	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	81.980.3–83.4	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	8280.2–83.8	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	82.280.2–84.1	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	82.380.1–84.3	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	82.580.2–84.7	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	82.680.1–84.9	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	82.880.1–85.2	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	8380–85.6	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	83.180–85.8	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	83.280.1–86.2	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	83.480.1–86.4	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	83.580.2–86.7	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	83.780.4–86.8	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	83.880.2–87	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	83.980.2–87.2	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	84.180.2–87.5	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	84.280.4–87.7	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	84.380.4–87.9	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	84.480.4–88.1	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	84.680.5–88.4	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	84.780.6–88.7	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	84.880.8–88.9	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	84.980.8–89	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	85.181–89.2	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	85.281–89.4	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	85.381–89.8	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	85.481.2–90	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	85.681.1–90.2	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	85.781.1–90.4	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	85.881.4–90.5	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	85.981.5–90.6	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	86.181.6–90.8	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	86.281.5–91.1	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	86.381.5–91	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	86.481.7–91.3	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	86.581.7–91.4	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	86.681.7–91.7	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	86.781.7–91.8	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	86.981.8–91.9	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	8781.9–92.1	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	87.182–92.3	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	87.282.1–92.4	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	87.382–92.7	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	87.482.2–92.9	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	87.582.2–93.2	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	87.782.2–93.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	87.882.2–93.6	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	87.982.3–93.8	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	8882.3–94	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	88.182.4–94.1	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	88.282.4–94.3	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	88.382.5–94.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	88.482.6–94.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	88.682.7–94.9	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	88.782.7–94.7	74.564.6–84	80
2081	88.882.7–95	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	88.982.7–95.3	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	8982.9–95.3	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	89.182.9–95.6	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	89.283–95.8	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	89.383–95.9	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	89.483.2–96	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	89.583.2–96.3	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	89.683.3–96.6	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	89.783.4–96.7	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	89.883.5–96.8	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	9083.5–97.2	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	90.183.6–97.2	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	90.283.8–97.4	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	90.383.6–97.5	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	90.483.9–97.7	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	90.583.9–97.8	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	90.684–98.1	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	90.783.9–98.1	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	90.884–98.3	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

Germany vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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