India vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 72 years in India and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in India, by 5.9 years, or 1.09 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

India has been higher since 1997, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, India ranked 145 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts India at 85.3 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	India	South Africa	World
2023	72	66.1	73.2
2022	71.7	65.5	72.6
2021	67.3	62	70.9
2020	70.2	65.2	71.9
2019	70.8	66.1	72.6
2018	70.4	65.7	72.4
2017	70.1	65.4	72.1
2016	69.7	64.8	71.9
2015	69.3	64.1	71.6
2014	68.9	63.2	71.4
2013	68.5	62.4	71.1
2012	68.1	61.7	70.8
2011	67.6	60.6	70.4
2010	67.2	58.9	70.1
2009	66.7	57.4	69.7
2008	66.3	56	69.3
2007	65.8	55	69
2006	65.4	54.2	68.6
2005	64.9	53.9	68.1
2004	64.5	54	67.7
2003	64.1	54.3	67.4
2002	63.7	55.6	67.1
2001	63.2	57.2	66.8
2000	62.8	58.4	66.4
1999	62.3	59.2	66
1998	61.9	59.9	65.7
1997	61.4	60.5	65.5
1996	61	61.1	65.2
1995	60.6	61.6	64.9
1994	60.2	62.1	64.3
1993	59.8	62.6	64.4
1992	59.5	62.8	64.3
1991	59	63	64.1
1990	58.6	62.9	64
1989	58.2	63	63.8
1988	57.7	62.9	63.4
1987	57.3	62.7	63.2
1986	56.8	62.4	62.7
1985	56.3	62.2	62.2
1984	55.8	61.8	61.9
1983	55.3	61.4	61.5
1982	54.7	60.9	61.3
1981	54.2	60.5	60.9
1980	53.6	60	60.5
1979	53	59.5	60.2
1978	52.4	59	59.5
1977	51.8	58.5	59.2
1976	51.3	58	58.6
1975	50.8	57.6	58.3
1974	50.3	57.1	58.1
1973	49.6	56.7	57.7
1972	49.2	56.4	57.2
1971	48.9	56	56
1970	48.6	55.7	56.3
1969	48.3	55.4	56
1968	47.9	55.2	55.6
1967	46.2	55	55.1
1966	45.9	54.7	54.6
1965	45.6	54.4	54
1964	46.7	54.2	54.3
1963	46.5	53.9	53.7
1962	46.1	53.6	53.2
1961	45.8	53.1	50.4
1960	45.6	52.6	47.8
1959	45.3	51.9	49.6
1958	44.8	51.2	51.6
1957	44.4	50.2	51.1
1956	44.1	49.2	50.7
1955	43.7	48.2	50.2
1954	43.3	47.1	49.7
1953	42.4	46.1	48.8
1952	42.1	45.1	48.2
1951	41.6	44.1	47.1
1950	41.2	43.1	46.4
1941	32.6	–	–
1935	31	–	–
1931	29.3	–	–
1925	27.6	–	–
1921	24.9	–	–
1915	24	–	–
1911	23.2	–	–
1905	24	–	–
1901	23.5	–	–
1891	24.3	–	–
1881	25.4	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	India	South Africa	World
2024	72.271–73.6	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	72.570.7–74.2	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	72.770.4–74.8	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	7370.3–75.3	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	73.270.2–75.8	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	73.470.2–76.3	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	73.670.3–76.7	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	73.870.2–77.2	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	74.170.3–77.7	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	74.370.3–77.9	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	74.570.3–78.2	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	74.770.3–78.5	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	74.970.4–78.9	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	75.170.5–79.2	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	75.370.4–79.5	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	75.570.5–80	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	75.770.6–80.2	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	75.970.8–80.6	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	76.170.6–80.8	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	76.370.6–81	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	76.570.7–81.5	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	76.670.7–81.6	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	76.870.5–82	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	7770.9–82.2	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	77.270.9–82.2	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	77.470.9–82.7	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	77.671.2–82.9	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	77.771.1–83.2	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	77.971.3–83.5	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	78.171.4–83.7	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	78.371.6–83.9	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	78.471.4–84.1	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	78.671.7–84.4	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	78.871.8–84.6	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	7971.8–84.8	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	79.172.2–85.1	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	79.372.2–85.4	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	79.572.2–85.5	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	79.672.2–85.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	79.872.2–85.8	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	8072.3–85.9	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	80.272.4–86.2	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	80.372.6–86.4	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	80.572.4–86.5	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	80.772.7–86.9	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	80.872.9–87.1	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	8172.9–87.2	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	81.172.8–87.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	81.373.2–87.6	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	81.573.1–87.7	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	81.673.1–87.9	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	81.873.2–88	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	81.973–88.1	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	82.173.2–88.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	82.273.3–88.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	82.473.5–88.8	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	82.573.6–89	74.564.6–84	80
2081	82.773.8–88.9	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	82.873.8–89.1	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	8373.9–89.4	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	83.173.9–89.4	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	83.374–89.5	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	83.474.1–89.7	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	83.674.1–89.9	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	83.774.4–90.3	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	83.874.5–90.2	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	8474.4–90.7	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	84.174.5–90.8	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	84.274.5–91.3	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	84.474.8–91.4	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	84.574.9–91.5	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	84.675.2–91.6	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	84.875.2–91.7	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	84.975.5–91.9	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	8575.6–92	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	85.275.8–92.2	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	85.375.9–92.5	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

India vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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