Poland vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 78.6 years in Poland and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Poland, by 12.5 years, or 1.19 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

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

What the numbers say

Poland has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Poland at 89 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	Poland	South Africa	World
2023	78.6	66.1	73.2
2022	77.9	65.5	72.6
2021	75.6	62	70.9
2020	76.6	65.2	71.9
2019	77.9	66.1	72.6
2018	77.6	65.7	72.4
2017	77.7	65.4	72.1
2016	77.6	64.8	71.9
2015	77.6	64.1	71.6
2014	77.3	63.2	71.4
2013	77.1	62.4	71.1
2012	76.8	61.7	70.8
2011	76.6	60.6	70.4
2010	76.3	58.9	70.1
2009	75.9	57.4	69.7
2008	75.6	56	69.3
2007	75.4	55	69
2006	75.3	54.2	68.6
2005	75.1	53.9	68.1
2004	74.9	54	67.7
2003	74.8	54.3	67.4
2002	74.5	55.6	67.1
2001	74.2	57.2	66.8
2000	73.7	58.4	66.4
1999	73.2	59.2	66
1998	72.9	59.9	65.7
1997	72.6	60.5	65.5
1996	72.3	61.1	65.2
1995	72	61.6	64.9
1994	71.7	62.1	64.3
1993	71.3	62.6	64.4
1992	70.9	62.8	64.3
1991	70.7	63	64.1
1990	70.6	62.9	64
1989	70.8	63	63.8
1988	70.8	62.9	63.4
1987	70.8	62.7	63.2
1986	70.6	62.4	62.7
1985	70.5	62.2	62.2
1984	70.6	61.8	61.9
1983	70.8	61.4	61.5
1982	70.9	60.9	61.3
1981	70.6	60.5	60.9
1980	70.5	60	60.5
1979	70.3	59.5	60.2
1978	70.4	59	59.5
1977	70.3	58.5	59.2
1976	70.4	58	58.6
1975	70.6	57.6	58.3
1974	70.7	57.1	58.1
1973	70.7	56.7	57.7
1972	70.1	56.4	57.2
1971	69.8	56	56
1970	69.6	55.7	56.3
1969	69.8	55.4	56
1968	69.8	55.2	55.6
1967	69.9	55	55.1
1966	69.7	54.7	54.6
1965	69.4	54.4	54
1964	68.9	54.2	54.3
1963	68.3	53.9	53.7
1962	68	53.6	53.2
1961	67.8	53.1	50.4
1960	67.1	52.6	47.8
1959	66.4	51.9	49.6
1958	64.9	51.2	51.6
1957	64.4	50.2	51.1
1956	63.4	49.2	50.7
1955	63.1	48.2	50.2
1954	62.3	47.1	49.7
1953	61.3	46.1	48.8
1952	59.7	45.1	48.2
1951	58.9	44.1	47.1
1950	58.3	43.1	46.4
1931	49.8	–	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Poland	South Africa	World
2024	78.877.9–79.7	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	7977.6–80.4	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	79.277.5–80.8	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	79.377.4–81.2	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	79.577.4–81.6	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	79.777.3–82	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	79.977.2–82.2	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	8077.2–82.6	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	80.277.1–82.9	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	80.477.1–83.1	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	80.577.2–83.4	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	80.777.3–83.7	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	80.977.3–84	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	8177.3–84.3	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	81.277.3–84.5	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	81.377.5–84.8	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	81.577.5–85	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	81.777.5–85.1	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	81.877.6–85.5	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	8277.6–85.6	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	82.177.7–85.8	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	82.377.6–86	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	82.477.7–86.3	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	82.677.9–86.6	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	82.777.9–86.6	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	82.978–86.8	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	8378–87	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	83.278.2–87.3	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	83.378.3–87.6	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	83.478.5–87.7	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	83.678.6–88	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	83.778.6–88.3	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	83.878.8–88.5	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	8478.7–88.6	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	84.178.9–88.9	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	84.278.9–89	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	84.479.1–89.1	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	84.579.2–89.3	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	84.679.2–89.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	84.779.3–89.9	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	84.979.4–89.9	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	8579.5–90.2	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	85.179.7–90.4	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	85.279.7–90.4	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	85.479.9–90.8	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	85.580–91.1	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	85.680.2–91.2	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	85.780.1–91.4	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	85.880.3–91.5	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	8680.2–91.8	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	86.180.4–92	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	86.280.5–91.9	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	86.380.4–92.1	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	86.580.6–92.4	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	86.680.7–92.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	86.780.8–92.7	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	86.880.8–93	74.564.6–84	80
2081	86.981–93	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	8781–93.5	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	87.281–93.5	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	87.381.2–93.7	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	87.481.3–94	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	87.581.2–94.1	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	87.681.4–94.1	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	87.781.2–94.3	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	87.881.2–94.6	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	87.981.5–94.7	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	8881.3–94.8	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	88.181.5–94.9	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	88.381.5–95.1	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	88.481.6–95.5	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	88.581.7–95.5	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	88.681.7–95.8	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	88.781.7–95.9	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	88.881.5–96.2	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	88.981.8–96.2	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	8981.8–96.3	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

Poland vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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