Iran vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 77.7 years in Iran and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Iran, by 11.5 years, or 1.17 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

IranSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Iran has been higher since 1988, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Iran ranked 79 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Iran at 89.3 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	Iran	South Africa	World
2023	77.7	66.1	73.2
2022	76.8	65.5	72.6
2021	73.8	62	70.9
2020	74.1	65.2	71.9
2019	76.9	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	75.9	64.1	71.6
2014	75.6	63.2	71.4
2013	75.4	62.4	71.1
2012	75	61.7	70.8
2011	74.7	60.6	70.4
2010	74.4	58.9	70.1
2009	74	57.4	69.7
2008	73.7	56	69.3
2007	73.3	55	69
2006	72.9	54.2	68.6
2005	72.5	53.9	68.1
2004	72	54	67.7
2003	70.5	54.3	67.4
2002	71.1	55.6	67.1
2001	70.6	57.2	66.8
2000	70.2	58.4	66.4
1999	69.7	59.2	66
1998	69.2	59.9	65.7
1997	68.7	60.5	65.5
1996	68.3	61.1	65.2
1995	67.9	61.6	64.9
1994	67.5	62.1	64.3
1993	67	62.6	64.4
1992	66.7	62.8	64.3
1991	66.2	63	64.1
1990	64.1	62.9	64
1989	65.3	63	63.8
1988	63.3	62.9	63.4
1987	62.7	62.7	63.2
1986	62.1	62.4	62.7
1985	61.5	62.2	62.2
1984	60.9	61.8	61.9
1983	58.5	61.4	61.5
1982	57.6	60.9	61.3
1981	56.6	60.5	60.9
1980	58.4	60	60.5
1979	58.5	59.5	60.2
1978	56	59	59.5
1977	56.7	58.5	59.2
1976	55.8	58	58.6
1975	54.8	57.6	58.3
1974	53.9	57.1	58.1
1973	52.9	56.7	57.7
1972	51.7	56.4	57.2
1971	51.1	56	56
1970	50.2	55.7	56.3
1969	49.4	55.4	56
1968	48	55.2	55.6
1967	47.8	55	55.1
1966	47.1	54.7	54.6
1965	46.4	54.4	54
1964	45.7	54.2	54.3
1963	45.1	53.9	53.7
1962	43.8	53.6	53.2
1961	43.9	53.1	50.4
1960	43.3	52.6	47.8
1959	42.8	51.9	49.6
1958	42.2	51.2	51.6
1957	41.3	50.2	51.1
1956	41.1	49.2	50.7
1955	40.6	48.2	50.2
1954	40	47.1	49.7
1953	39.5	46.1	48.8
1952	39.2	45.1	48.2
1951	38.7	44.1	47.1
1950	38.2	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Iran	South Africa	World
2024	77.976.8–78.9	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	78.176.6–79.5	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	78.376.3–80	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	78.576.3–80.6	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	78.776.4–81	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	78.976.3–81.4	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	7976.3–81.6	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	79.376.2–82	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	79.576.2–82.4	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	79.776.3–82.7	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	79.876.3–83.1	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	8076.5–83.3	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	80.276.3–83.7	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	80.476.3–84.1	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	80.676.3–84.3	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	80.876.5–84.5	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	8176.6–84.6	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	81.176.7–85	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	81.376.8–85.2	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	81.576.8–85.5	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	81.776.9–85.8	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	81.977.1–86	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	82.177–86.3	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	82.277.2–86.5	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	82.477.3–86.8	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	82.677.4–87	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	82.877.4–87.2	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	82.977.4–87.6	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	83.177.6–87.7	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	83.277.7–88	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	83.477.8–88.1	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	83.677.6–88.4	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	83.778.1–88.5	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	83.978.1–88.8	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	8478.1–88.9	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	84.278.3–89.1	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	84.378.4–89.3	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	84.578.6–89.6	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	84.678.6–89.7	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	84.878.7–90.1	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	84.978.6–90.2	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	85.178.7–90.4	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	85.278.8–90.5	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	85.379–90.7	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	85.579.1–90.9	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	85.679–91.1	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	85.879.4–91.2	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	85.979.4–91.6	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	8679.6–91.6	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	86.279.7–91.7	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	86.379.7–91.9	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	86.479.8–92.1	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	86.579.7–92.2	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	86.779.9–92.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	86.880.2–92.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	86.980.2–92.8	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	8780.3–93	74.564.6–84	80
2081	87.280.5–93.2	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	87.380.6–93.4	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	87.480.8–93.7	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	87.580.8–93.9	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	87.681.1–94	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	87.781.1–94.1	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	87.981.2–94.1	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	8881.3–94.3	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	88.181.3–94.5	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	88.281.2–94.7	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	88.381.3–94.9	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	88.481.5–94.9	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	88.681.6–95.1	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	88.781.7–95.3	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	88.881.8–95.4	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	88.981.9–95.5	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	8982.1–95.5	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	89.182–95.7	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	89.282.1–96	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	89.382.3–96.2	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

Iran vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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