Lesotho vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 57.4 years in Lesotho and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8.8 years, or 1.15 times that in Lesotho.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

LesothoSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1955, when it overtook Lesotho.
In 2023, Lesotho ranked 227 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Lesotho at 74.7 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	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2023	57.4	66.1	73.2
2022	56.8	65.5	72.6
2021	54.2	62	70.9
2020	55.1	65.2	71.9
2019	55.3	66.1	72.6
2018	54.6	65.7	72.4
2017	53.9	65.4	72.1
2016	52.9	64.8	71.9
2015	51.8	64.1	71.6
2014	50.8	63.2	71.4
2013	49.6	62.4	71.1
2012	48.2	61.7	70.8
2011	46.9	60.6	70.4
2010	46	58.9	70.1
2009	45.1	57.4	69.7
2008	44.3	56	69.3
2007	43.7	55	69
2006	43.2	54.2	68.6
2005	43.6	53.9	68.1
2004	44	54	67.7
2003	44.9	54.3	67.4
2002	46	55.6	67.1
2001	47.2	57.2	66.8
2000	48.8	58.4	66.4
1999	50.4	59.2	66
1998	52	59.9	65.7
1997	53.7	60.5	65.5
1996	55.1	61.1	65.2
1995	56.4	61.6	64.9
1994	57.3	62.1	64.3
1993	58.1	62.6	64.4
1992	58.6	62.8	64.3
1991	59.1	63	64.1
1990	59.3	62.9	64
1989	59.5	63	63.8
1988	59.6	62.9	63.4
1987	59.6	62.7	63.2
1986	59.4	62.4	62.7
1985	59.2	62.2	62.2
1984	59	61.8	61.9
1983	58.5	61.4	61.5
1982	58	60.9	61.3
1981	57.3	60.5	60.9
1980	56.5	60	60.5
1979	55.8	59.5	60.2
1978	55.2	59	59.5
1977	54.5	58.5	59.2
1976	53.9	58	58.6
1975	53.5	57.6	58.3
1974	52.9	57.1	58.1
1973	52.6	56.7	57.7
1972	52.3	56.4	57.2
1971	51.8	56	56
1970	51.5	55.7	56.3
1969	51.1	55.4	56
1968	50.8	55.2	55.6
1967	50.5	55	55.1
1966	50.4	54.7	54.6
1965	50.3	54.4	54
1964	50.3	54.2	54.3
1963	50.3	53.9	53.7
1962	50.3	53.6	53.2
1961	50.3	53.1	50.4
1960	50.2	52.6	47.8
1959	49.9	51.9	49.6
1958	49.6	51.2	51.6
1957	49.2	50.2	51.1
1956	48.6	49.2	50.7
1955	48	48.2	50.2
1954	47.3	47.1	49.7
1953	46.6	46.1	48.8
1952	45.9	45.1	48.2
1951	45.2	44.1	47.1
1950	44.6	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2024	57.856.2–59.5	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	58.256–60.5	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	58.655.8–61.5	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	5955.9–62.3	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	59.455.7–62.9	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	59.855.7–63.8	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	60.255.7–64.1	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	60.655.7–64.9	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	60.955.6–65.5	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	61.355.9–66.3	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	61.656–67.1	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	61.956.1–67.6	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	62.356.2–68.1	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	62.656.2–68.7	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	62.956.4–69.3	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	63.256.6–69.9	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	63.456.6–70.4	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	63.756.7–70.9	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	6456.4–71.4	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	64.356.6–71.7	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	64.556.8–72.2	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	64.857.1–72.7	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	65.156.8–73.1	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	65.357.2–73.4	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	65.657.2–73.6	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	65.857.4–74	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	6657.5–74.2	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	66.257.5–74.7	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	66.557.5–75.2	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	66.757.8–75.5	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	66.957.8–75.6	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	67.157.8–76	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	67.357.9–76.2	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	67.558.1–76.8	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	67.758.2–77.2	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	67.958.3–77.6	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	68.158.1–77.8	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	68.358.5–78.3	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	68.558.8–78.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	68.758.9–78.9	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	68.959–79.1	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	6959–79.6	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	69.259.2–79.8	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	69.459.3–80	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	69.659.3–80.2	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	69.859.2–80.5	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	69.959.1–80.6	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	70.159.4–80.9	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	70.359.5–81.4	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	70.559.6–81.6	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	70.659.9–82	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	70.860.1–82.2	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	70.960–82.3	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	71.160.1–82.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	71.360–82.7	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	71.460.1–83	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	71.660.2–83.3	74.564.6–84	80
2081	71.860.4–83.4	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	71.960.4–83.6	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	72.160.6–83.9	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	72.360.7–84	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	72.460.8–84.1	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	72.661.2–84.4	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	72.761.2–84.6	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	72.961–84.9	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	7361.3–84.9	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	73.261.5–85.1	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	73.361.5–85.2	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	73.561.7–85.5	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	73.661.7–85.6	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	73.861.4–85.9	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	73.961.4–86	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	74.161.4–86.3	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	74.261.5–86.6	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	74.461.6–86.8	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	74.561.3–86.9	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	74.761.7–86.9	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

Lesotho vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

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Lesotho vs South Africa

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