Ghana vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 65.5 years in Ghana and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.6 years, or 1.01 times that in Ghana.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Ghana.
In 2023, Ghana ranked 200 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ghana 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	Ghana	South Africa	World
2023	65.5	66.1	73.2
2022	65.3	65.5	72.6
2021	64.3	62	70.9
2020	64.3	65.2	71.9
2019	64.5	66.1	72.6
2018	64.1	65.7	72.4
2017	63.8	65.4	72.1
2016	63.5	64.8	71.9
2015	63.2	64.1	71.6
2014	62.8	63.2	71.4
2013	62.4	62.4	71.1
2012	62	61.7	70.8
2011	61.6	60.6	70.4
2010	61.3	58.9	70.1
2009	60.9	57.4	69.7
2008	60.6	56	69.3
2007	60.3	55	69
2006	60	54.2	68.6
2005	59.6	53.9	68.1
2004	59.3	54	67.7
2003	59	54.3	67.4
2002	58.7	55.6	67.1
2001	58.4	57.2	66.8
2000	58.1	58.4	66.4
1999	57.8	59.2	66
1998	57.5	59.9	65.7
1997	57.2	60.5	65.5
1996	57	61.1	65.2
1995	56.7	61.6	64.9
1994	56.2	62.1	64.3
1993	56.3	62.6	64.4
1992	56.1	62.8	64.3
1991	55.7	63	64.1
1990	55.4	62.9	64
1989	54.9	63	63.8
1988	54.4	62.9	63.4
1987	53.8	62.7	63.2
1986	53.3	62.4	62.7
1985	52.7	62.2	62.2
1984	52.2	61.8	61.9
1983	51.8	61.4	61.5
1982	51.4	60.9	61.3
1981	51.3	60.5	60.9
1980	51.1	60	60.5
1979	50.8	59.5	60.2
1978	50.5	59	59.5
1977	50.1	58.5	59.2
1976	49.7	58	58.6
1975	49.3	57.6	58.3
1974	48.9	57.1	58.1
1973	48.6	56.7	57.7
1972	48.3	56.4	57.2
1971	48	56	56
1970	47.9	55.7	56.3
1969	47.9	55.4	56
1968	47.8	55.2	55.6
1967	47.7	55	55.1
1966	47.7	54.7	54.6
1965	47.7	54.4	54
1964	47.6	54.2	54.3
1963	47.5	53.9	53.7
1962	47.3	53.6	53.2
1961	47.1	53.1	50.4
1960	46.9	52.6	47.8
1959	46.7	51.9	49.6
1958	46.4	51.2	51.6
1957	46.1	50.2	51.1
1956	45.8	49.2	50.7
1955	45.4	48.2	50.2
1954	45	47.1	49.7
1953	44.5	46.1	48.8
1952	44	45.1	48.2
1951	43.6	44.1	47.1
1950	43.1	43.1	46.4
1921	28	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ghana	South Africa	World
2024	65.764.2–67.1	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	65.963.9–68	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	66.163.6–68.7	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	66.363.4–69.2	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	66.563.3–69.7	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	66.763.3–70.2	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	66.863.3–70.6	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	6763.2–71.1	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	67.262.9–71.4	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	67.462.8–71.7	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	67.562.8–72.3	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	67.762.7–72.5	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	67.962.8–72.9	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	6862.8–73.3	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	68.262.6–73.5	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	68.462.5–73.7	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	68.562.4–74.1	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	68.762.5–74.3	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	68.862.6–74.6	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	6962.4–74.8	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	69.162.5–75.5	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	69.362.5–75.6	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	69.462.5–75.9	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	69.662.6–76.2	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	69.862.6–76.4	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	69.962.5–76.8	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	70.162.3–77.2	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	70.262.4–77.3	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	70.362.3–77.6	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	70.562.4–78.1	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	70.662.5–78.2	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	70.862.5–78.4	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	7162.5–78.8	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	71.162.5–78.9	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	71.262.5–79.1	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	71.462.7–79.3	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	71.562.6–79.6	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	71.662.7–79.7	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	71.862.7–80	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	71.962.6–80.2	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	7262.7–80.5	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	72.262.8–80.8	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	72.362.6–80.7	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	72.562.5–81	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	72.662.6–81.5	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	72.762.9–81.6	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	72.962.9–81.8	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	7362.9–82.3	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	73.262.8–82.4	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	73.363.3–82.5	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	73.563.2–82.6	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	73.663–82.9	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	73.763.2–83.2	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	73.963.3–83.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	7463.1–83.4	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	74.163.2–83.7	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	74.363.1–83.9	74.564.6–84	80
2081	74.462.9–84.2	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	74.663.2–84.5	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	74.763.1–84.7	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	74.863.3–84.8	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	7563.3–85	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	75.163.4–85.2	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	75.363.5–85.3	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	75.463.4–85.4	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	75.563.4–85.5	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	75.763.7–85.8	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	75.863.9–86	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	7664.3–86.4	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	76.164.2–86.5	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	76.264.2–86.6	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	76.464–86.9	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	76.564.1–86.9	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	76.664–87	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	76.864.3–87.1	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	76.964–87.2	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	77.164.1–87.4	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

Ghana vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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