Kenya vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 63.7 years in Kenya and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2.5 years, or 1.04 times that in Kenya.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2012, when it overtook Kenya.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Kenya at 74.4 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	Kenya	South Africa	World
2023	63.7	66.1	73.2
2022	63.6	65.5	72.6
2021	61.2	62	70.9
2020	61.6	65.2	71.9
2019	62.9	66.1	72.6
2018	62.8	65.7	72.4
2017	62.7	65.4	72.1
2016	62.5	64.8	71.9
2015	62.3	64.1	71.6
2014	62	63.2	71.4
2013	61.7	62.4	71.1
2012	61.5	61.7	70.8
2011	61.3	60.6	70.4
2010	60.9	58.9	70.1
2009	60.5	57.4	69.7
2008	60	56	69.3
2007	59.4	55	69
2006	59.1	54.2	68.6
2005	58.5	53.9	68.1
2004	58	54	67.7
2003	57.4	54.3	67.4
2002	56.8	55.6	67.1
2001	56.5	57.2	66.8
2000	56.1	58.4	66.4
1999	55.9	59.2	66
1998	55.6	59.9	65.7
1997	55.5	60.5	65.5
1996	55.6	61.1	65.2
1995	55.9	61.6	64.9
1994	56.1	62.1	64.3
1993	56.7	62.6	64.4
1992	57.1	62.8	64.3
1991	57.8	63	64.1
1990	58.3	62.9	64
1989	60	63	63.8
1988	60.3	62.9	63.4
1987	60.7	62.7	63.2
1986	60.8	62.4	62.7
1985	60.9	62.2	62.2
1984	60.6	61.8	61.9
1983	60.3	61.4	61.5
1982	59.9	60.9	61.3
1981	59.6	60.5	60.9
1980	59.2	60	60.5
1979	58.7	59.5	60.2
1978	58.2	59	59.5
1977	57.7	58.5	59.2
1976	57.2	58	58.6
1975	56.6	57.6	58.3
1974	56	57.1	58.1
1973	55.5	56.7	57.7
1972	55	56.4	57.2
1971	54.5	56	56
1970	54.1	55.7	56.3
1969	53.7	55.4	56
1968	53.3	55.2	55.6
1967	52.8	55	55.1
1966	52.4	54.7	54.6
1965	51.9	54.4	54
1964	51.3	54.2	54.3
1963	50.8	53.9	53.7
1962	50.1	53.6	53.2
1961	49.3	53.1	50.4
1960	48.5	52.6	47.8
1959	47.5	51.9	49.6
1958	46.5	51.2	51.6
1957	45.3	50.2	51.1
1956	43.5	49.2	50.7
1955	42.3	48.2	50.2
1954	41	47.1	49.7
1953	39.8	46.1	48.8
1952	38.6	45.1	48.2
1951	38	44.1	47.1
1950	36.9	43.1	46.4
1945	28.8	–	–
1937	26.4	–	–
1927	23.9	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Kenya	South Africa	World
2024	63.862.4–65.3	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	6461.9–66	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	64.261.7–66.6	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	64.461.5–67.2	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	64.561.4–67.6	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	64.761.1–68	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	64.961.1–68.4	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	65.160.9–68.9	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	65.260.8–69.3	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	65.460.9–69.7	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	65.560.9–69.9	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	65.760.8–70.3	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	65.860.9–70.7	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	6660.8–70.9	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	66.260.9–71.2	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	66.360.7–71.6	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	66.561.2–71.9	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	66.661.1–72.2	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	66.761–72.3	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	66.961.1–72.8	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	6760.8–73	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	67.260.9–73.4	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	67.361–73.6	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	67.561.2–74.1	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	67.661.2–74.2	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	67.761.2–74.4	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	67.961.4–74.6	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	6861.4–74.8	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	68.161.5–75.1	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	68.261.6–75.1	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	68.461.6–75.4	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	68.561.4–75.5	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	68.661.5–75.6	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	68.861.5–75.7	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	68.961.6–76	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	6961.3–76.2	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	69.261.4–76.3	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	69.361.3–76.5	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	69.461.4–76.8	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	69.561.6–77	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	69.761.5–77.3	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	69.861.8–77.5	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	69.961.7–77.8	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	70.161.7–78	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	70.261.9–78.2	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	70.361.9–78.4	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	70.461.8–78.6	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	70.662.1–78.8	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	70.762.3–78.9	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	70.862.4–79.1	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	70.962.5–79.7	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	71.162.5–79.7	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	71.262.5–80	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	71.362.4–80.1	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	71.462.5–80.4	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	71.662.4–80.6	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	71.762.7–80.8	74.564.6–84	80
2081	71.862.7–81.2	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	7262.6–81.3	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	72.162.7–81.6	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	72.262.8–81.7	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	72.462.7–82.1	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	72.562.9–82.1	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	72.663.1–82.4	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	72.863–82.6	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	72.963.2–82.8	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	7363.2–83.1	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	73.263.3–83.2	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	73.363.6–83.5	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	73.463.3–83.6	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	73.663.5–83.9	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	73.763.7–84.1	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	73.863.5–84.4	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	7463.7–84.5	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	74.163.7–84.6	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	74.263.7–84.8	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	74.464.1–85.2	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.
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

Kenya vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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Kenya vs South Africa

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