Ireland vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 82.4 years in Ireland and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Ireland, by 16.3 years, or 1.25 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

Ireland has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ireland at 91.8 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	Ireland	South Africa	World
2023	82.4	66.1	73.2
2022	82.1	65.5	72.6
2021	81.9	62	70.9
2020	82.4	65.2	71.9
2019	82.4	66.1	72.6
2018	82.1	65.7	72.4
2017	82.1	65.4	72.1
2016	81.7	64.8	71.9
2015	81.5	64.1	71.6
2014	81.4	63.2	71.4
2013	81.1	62.4	71.1
2012	80.9	61.7	70.8
2011	80.7	60.6	70.4
2010	80.6	58.9	70.1
2009	80.1	57.4	69.7
2008	79.8	56	69.3
2007	79.6	55	69
2006	79.2	54.2	68.6
2005	78.9	53.9	68.1
2004	78.5	54	67.7
2003	78.1	54.3	67.4
2002	77.6	55.6	67.1
2001	77.1	57.2	66.8
2000	76.5	58.4	66.4
1999	76.1	59.2	66
1998	76.2	59.9	65.7
1997	76	60.5	65.5
1996	75.8	61.1	65.2
1995	75.5	61.6	64.9
1994	75.8	62.1	64.3
1993	75.3	62.6	64.4
1992	75.4	62.8	64.3
1991	75	63	64.1
1990	74.8	62.9	64
1989	74.5	63	63.8
1988	74.4	62.9	63.4
1987	74.4	62.7	63.2
1986	73.6	62.4	62.7
1985	73.6	62.2	62.2
1984	73.6	61.8	61.9
1983	73.2	61.4	61.5
1982	73.2	60.9	61.3
1981	72.9	60.5	60.9
1980	72.5	60	60.5
1979	72.2	59.5	60.2
1978	71.9	59	59.5
1977	71.9	58.5	59.2
1976	71.8	58	58.6
1975	71.7	57.6	58.3
1974	71.1	57.1	58.1
1973	71.2	56.7	57.7
1972	71	56.4	57.2
1971	71.6	56	56
1970	70.8	55.7	56.3
1969	70.8	55.4	56
1968	70.9	55.2	55.6
1967	71.2	55	55.1
1966	70.2	54.7	54.6
1965	70.6	54.4	54
1964	70.5	54.2	54.3
1963	70.2	53.9	53.7
1962	70	53.6	53.2
1961	69.6	53.1	50.4
1960	70.2	52.6	47.8
1959	69.4	51.9	49.6
1958	69.3	51.2	51.6
1957	69	50.2	51.1
1956	69	49.2	50.7
1955	68	48.2	50.2
1954	68	47.1	49.7
1953	67.9	46.1	48.8
1952	67.2	45.1	48.2
1951	64.8	44.1	47.1
1950	65.6	43.1	46.4
1946	61.4	–	–
1941	60	–	–
1936	58.9	–	–
1926	57.6	–	–
1911	53.8	–	–
1901	49.4	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ireland	South Africa	World
2024	82.681.8–83.5	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	82.881.5–84	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	82.981.3–84.5	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	83.181.3–84.8	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	83.281.3–85.1	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	83.481.2–85.4	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	83.681.2–85.7	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	83.781.2–85.9	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	83.981.2–86.2	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	8481.3–86.5	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	84.281.4–86.8	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	84.381.3–87.1	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	84.481.4–87.3	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	84.681.4–87.5	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	84.781.6–87.8	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	84.881.6–88.1	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	8581.7–88.4	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	85.181.7–88.7	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	85.281.8–88.9	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	85.481.8–89.2	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	85.581.8–89.4	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	85.682–89.6	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	85.782–89.8	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	85.982.2–90.1	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	8682.1–90.2	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	86.182.1–90.5	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	86.282.2–90.6	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	86.482.3–90.7	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	86.582.3–90.8	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	86.682.5–91.1	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	86.782.5–91.3	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	86.882.6–91.5	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	8782.7–91.8	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	87.182.7–92	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	87.282.8–92.3	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	87.382.9–92.4	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	87.482.8–92.6	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	87.582.9–92.8	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	87.782.9–93	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	87.882.9–93.2	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	87.982.9–93.4	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	8882.9–93.6	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	88.182.9–93.6	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	88.283.1–93.9	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	88.383.1–94	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	88.483.1–94.1	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	88.683.2–94.1	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	88.783.2–94.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	88.883.2–94.5	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	88.983.5–94.5	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	8983.6–94.8	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	89.183.6–94.8	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	89.283.6–95	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	89.383.6–95.2	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	89.483.7–95.3	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	89.583.9–95.6	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	89.784.1–95.8	74.564.6–84	80
2081	89.784–96	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	89.984.1–96.1	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	9084–96.4	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	90.184.2–96.5	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	90.284.3–96.5	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	90.384.2–96.8	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	90.484.2–96.7	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	90.584.3–97	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	90.684.2–97.2	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	90.784.4–97.4	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	90.884.4–97.5	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	90.984.4–97.7	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	9184.3–97.8	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	91.184.5–97.9	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	91.284.5–98.2	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	91.384.5–98.2	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	91.484.6–98.4	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	91.684.7–98.5	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	91.784.7–98.5	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	91.884.7–98.7	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

Ireland vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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Ireland vs South Africa

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