Nigeria vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 54.5 years in Nigeria and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 11.7 years, or 1.21 times that in Nigeria.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

NigeriaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Nigeria ranked 229 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Nigeria at 64.7 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	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2023	54.5	66.1	73.2
2022	54.1	65.5	72.6
2021	53.5	62	70.9
2020	53.1	65.2	71.9
2019	53	66.1	72.6
2018	52.7	65.7	72.4
2017	52.4	65.4	72.1
2016	52.2	64.8	71.9
2015	51.9	64.1	71.6
2014	51.9	63.2	71.4
2013	51.8	62.4	71.1
2012	51.7	61.7	70.8
2011	51.5	60.6	70.4
2010	51.3	58.9	70.1
2009	51.1	57.4	69.7
2008	50.8	56	69.3
2007	50.4	55	69
2006	49.9	54.2	68.6
2005	49.5	53.9	68.1
2004	49.2	54	67.7
2003	48.6	54.3	67.4
2002	48	55.6	67.1
2001	47.6	57.2	66.8
2000	47.1	58.4	66.4
1999	46.6	59.2	66
1998	46.2	59.9	65.7
1997	46	60.5	65.5
1996	45.8	61.1	65.2
1995	45.9	61.6	64.9
1994	45.8	62.1	64.3
1993	45.8	62.6	64.4
1992	45.6	62.8	64.3
1991	45.5	63	64.1
1990	45.7	62.9	64
1989	45.8	63	63.8
1988	45.8	62.9	63.4
1987	45.9	62.7	63.2
1986	46	62.4	62.7
1985	46.2	62.2	62.2
1984	46.3	61.8	61.9
1983	46.4	61.4	61.5
1982	46.4	60.9	61.3
1981	46.3	60.5	60.9
1980	46	60	60.5
1979	45.7	59.5	60.2
1978	45.4	59	59.5
1977	44.9	58.5	59.2
1976	44.2	58	58.6
1975	43.1	57.6	58.3
1974	42.5	57.1	58.1
1973	41.8	56.7	57.7
1972	41.3	56.4	57.2
1971	40.6	56	56
1970	40	55.7	56.3
1969	39	55.4	56
1968	38.6	55.2	55.6
1967	37.5	55	55.1
1966	38.4	54.7	54.6
1965	38.2	54.4	54
1964	38	54.2	54.3
1963	37.8	53.9	53.7
1962	37.6	53.6	53.2
1961	37.4	53.1	50.4
1960	37.2	52.6	47.8
1959	37	51.9	49.6
1958	36.8	51.2	51.6
1957	36.6	50.2	51.1
1956	36.5	49.2	50.7
1955	36.3	48.2	50.2
1954	36.2	47.1	49.7
1953	36	46.1	48.8
1952	35.9	45.1	48.2
1951	35.7	44.1	47.1
1950	35.5	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2024	54.653–56.3	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	54.852.5–57.2	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	5552–57.9	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	55.151.6–58.5	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	55.351.5–59	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	55.451.3–59.5	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	55.651–60	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	55.750.8–60.5	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	55.950.5–60.9	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	5650.4–61.4	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	56.250.2–61.8	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	56.350.1–62.2	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	56.549.9–62.7	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	56.649.8–62.9	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	56.849.8–62.8	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	56.949.7–63.4	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	57.150–63.8	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	57.249.7–64	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	57.449.9–64.3	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	57.549.7–64.6	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	57.749.7–65.3	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	57.849.7–65.5	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	5849.7–65.8	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	58.149.7–66.1	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	58.349.6–66.3	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	58.449.7–66.5	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	58.549.7–67	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	58.749.4–67.2	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	58.849.3–67.5	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	5949.3–67.7	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	59.149.1–67.6	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	59.249.2–68.1	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	59.449.2–68.6	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	59.549–68.9	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	59.648.9–69.2	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	59.848.8–69.2	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	59.948.6–69.1	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	60.148.7–69.2	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	60.248.5–69.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	60.348.8–69.7	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	60.549–69.8	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	60.649–70.3	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	60.748.7–70.4	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	60.849.2–70.8	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	6149–71	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	61.149.1–71.3	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	61.248.9–71.6	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	61.348.8–71.7	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	61.548.7–72.2	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	61.648.6–72.2	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	61.748.7–72.6	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	61.948.6–72.6	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	6248.7–72.9	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	62.148.6–73.1	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	62.248.4–73.3	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	62.348.5–73.8	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	62.548.4–73.7	74.564.6–84	80
2081	62.648.9–73.9	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	62.748.6–74.1	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	62.848.7–74.6	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	62.948.7–74.6	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	6349.2–74.7	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	63.148.8–74.8	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	63.348.7–74.9	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	63.449–75.1	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	63.549–75.1	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	63.649.3–75.5	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	63.749.1–75.6	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	63.949.2–75.6	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	6449–75.9	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	64.149.3–76.3	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	64.249.2–76.4	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	64.349.3–76.7	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	64.449–77	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	64.549.3–77.3	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	64.649.3–77.5	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	64.749.6–77.8	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

Nigeria vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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