Malawi vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 67.4 years in Malawi and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Malawi, by 1.2 years, or 1.02 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

MalawiSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Malawi has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Malawi ranked 182 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Malawi at 78.6 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	Malawi	South Africa	World
2023	67.4	66.1	73.2
2022	66	65.5	72.6
2021	64.8	62	70.9
2020	65.2	65.2	71.9
2019	65	66.1	72.6
2018	64.5	65.7	72.4
2017	63.9	65.4	72.1
2016	63.2	64.8	71.9
2015	62.3	64.1	71.6
2014	61.7	63.2	71.4
2013	60.8	62.4	71.1
2012	59.9	61.7	70.8
2011	58.9	60.6	70.4
2010	57.8	58.9	70.1
2009	56.7	57.4	69.7
2008	55.7	56	69.3
2007	54.7	55	69
2006	53.7	54.2	68.6
2005	52.5	53.9	68.1
2004	51.1	54	67.7
2003	49.6	54.3	67.4
2002	48.2	55.6	67.1
2001	47.2	57.2	66.8
2000	46.2	58.4	66.4
1999	45.1	59.2	66
1998	44.3	59.9	65.7
1997	44.2	60.5	65.5
1996	44	61.1	65.2
1995	43.8	61.6	64.9
1994	43.8	62.1	64.3
1993	43.7	62.6	64.4
1992	43.6	62.8	64.3
1991	43.5	63	64.1
1990	43.6	62.9	64
1989	43.5	63	63.8
1988	43.6	62.9	63.4
1987	43.9	62.7	63.2
1986	44.3	62.4	62.7
1985	44.6	62.2	62.2
1984	44.8	61.8	61.9
1983	45	61.4	61.5
1982	44.8	60.9	61.3
1981	44.7	60.5	60.9
1980	44.3	60	60.5
1979	43.7	59.5	60.2
1978	43	59	59.5
1977	42	58.5	59.2
1976	41	58	58.6
1975	40.1	57.6	58.3
1974	39.2	57.1	58.1
1973	38.4	56.7	57.7
1972	37.6	56.4	57.2
1971	37.1	56	56
1970	36.6	55.7	56.3
1969	36.3	55.4	56
1968	36.1	55.2	55.6
1967	35.9	55	55.1
1966	35.8	54.7	54.6
1965	35.7	54.4	54
1964	35.7	54.2	54.3
1963	35.6	53.9	53.7
1962	35.5	53.6	53.2
1961	35.2	53.1	50.4
1960	35	52.6	47.8
1959	34.8	51.9	49.6
1958	34.4	51.2	51.6
1957	34.1	50.2	51.1
1956	33.9	49.2	50.7
1955	33.6	48.2	50.2
1954	33.4	47.1	49.7
1953	33.2	46.1	48.8
1952	33	45.1	48.2
1951	32.8	44.1	47.1
1950	32.7	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Malawi	South Africa	World
2024	67.666.2–69	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	67.765.8–69.6	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	67.965.5–70.2	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	68.165.3–70.9	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	68.365.1–71.2	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	68.564.9–71.7	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	68.664.9–72	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	68.864.8–72.5	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	6964.7–72.9	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	69.164.6–73.4	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	69.364.6–73.7	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	69.564.6–74	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	69.664.5–74.3	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	69.864.6–74.8	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	69.964.6–75.1	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	70.164.6–75.4	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	70.364.6–75.8	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	70.464.4–76.1	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	70.664.5–76.5	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	70.764.3–76.6	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	70.864.1–77	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	7164.7–77.3	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	71.164.5–77.6	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	71.364.4–77.7	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	71.464.5–78.1	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	71.664.6–78.6	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	71.764.6–78.8	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	71.864.4–79	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	7264.6–79.3	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	72.164.6–79.5	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	72.364.6–79.9	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	72.464.7–80	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	72.564.7–80.3	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	72.764.7–80.5	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	72.864.6–80.7	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	7364.7–80.8	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	73.164.7–81.1	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	73.364.8–81.4	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	73.464.8–81.7	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	73.664.9–81.8	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	73.764.9–82.2	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	73.864.8–82.6	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	7464.9–82.7	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	74.165–83	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	74.364.8–82.9	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	74.464.7–83	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	74.565–83.3	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	74.764.7–83.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	74.864.9–83.5	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	74.965–83.6	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	75.165–83.9	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	75.265–84	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	75.464.8–84.2	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	75.564.8–84.2	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	75.664.9–84.5	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	75.864.8–84.6	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	75.965.3–84.8	74.564.6–84	80
2081	7665.4–85.1	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	76.265.5–85.3	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	76.365.6–85.4	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	76.565.7–85.9	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	76.665.9–86	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	76.765.5–85.9	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	76.965.7–86.1	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	7765.6–86.3	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	77.165.8–86.5	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	77.365.8–86.8	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	77.465.8–86.8	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	77.565.9–87.1	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	77.765.9–87	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	77.866.1–87.1	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	7866.2–87.4	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	78.166.5–87.5	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	78.266.3–87.6	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	78.366.4–87.7	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	78.566.5–87.9	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	78.666.6–88.2	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

Malawi vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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