Rwanda vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 67.8 years in Rwanda and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 1.7 years, or 1.02 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

RwandaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Rwanda has been higher since 2004, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Rwanda ranked 178 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Rwanda at 80.3 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	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2023	67.8	66.1	73.2
2022	67.5	65.5	72.6
2021	66.9	62	70.9
2020	67	65.2	71.9
2019	66.7	66.1	72.6
2018	66.4	65.7	72.4
2017	66.1	65.4	72.1
2016	65.7	64.8	71.9
2015	65.4	64.1	71.6
2014	65.1	63.2	71.4
2013	64.7	62.4	71.1
2012	64.2	61.7	70.8
2011	63.5	60.6	70.4
2010	62.8	58.9	70.1
2009	61.8	57.4	69.7
2008	60.6	56	69.3
2007	59.5	55	69
2006	58.3	54.2	68.6
2005	57	53.9	68.1
2004	55.5	54	67.7
2003	53.5	54.3	67.4
2002	51.3	55.6	67.1
2001	49.5	57.2	66.8
2000	47.8	58.4	66.4
1999	45.8	59.2	66
1998	43.1	59.9	65.7
1997	42	60.5	65.5
1996	42.5	61.1	65.2
1995	41.5	61.6	64.9
1994	12.2	62.1	64.3
1993	42.9	62.6	64.4
1992	44.4	62.8	64.3
1991	46.2	63	64.1
1990	47.8	62.9	64
1989	49.5	63	63.8
1988	50.9	62.9	63.4
1987	51.5	62.7	63.2
1986	51.7	62.4	62.7
1985	51.7	62.2	62.2
1984	51.4	61.8	61.9
1983	50.9	61.4	61.5
1982	50.2	60.9	61.3
1981	49.2	60.5	60.9
1980	48.1	60	60.5
1979	47.1	59.5	60.2
1978	46.2	59	59.5
1977	45.6	58.5	59.2
1976	45.3	58	58.6
1975	45.3	57.6	58.3
1974	45.6	57.1	58.1
1973	45.9	56.7	57.7
1972	46.3	56.4	57.2
1971	46.8	56	56
1970	47.1	55.7	56.3
1969	47.4	55.4	56
1968	47.7	55.2	55.6
1967	48	55	55.1
1966	48.1	54.7	54.6
1965	48.2	54.4	54
1964	48.1	54.2	54.3
1963	44	53.9	53.7
1962	47.8	53.6	53.2
1961	47.5	53.1	50.4
1960	47	52.6	47.8
1959	46.6	51.9	49.6
1958	46.1	51.2	51.6
1957	45.6	50.2	51.1
1956	45.2	49.2	50.7
1955	44.8	48.2	50.2
1954	44.4	47.1	49.7
1953	44.1	46.1	48.8
1952	43.8	45.1	48.2
1951	43.5	44.1	47.1
1950	43.2	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2024	6866.7–69.4	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	68.266.3–70.2	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	68.566.1–70.9	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	68.765.9–71.3	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	68.965.6–72.1	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	69.165.6–72.4	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	69.365.4–73	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	69.565.5–73.3	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	69.765.4–73.7	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	69.965.4–74.2	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	70.165.2–74.5	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	70.365.2–75	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	70.465.4–75.4	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	70.665.4–75.9	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	70.865.3–76.2	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	7165.3–76.5	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	71.165.2–76.7	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	71.365.3–77.1	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	71.565.1–77.3	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	71.765.4–77.6	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	71.865.2–77.9	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	7265.2–78.4	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	72.265–78.6	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	72.364.9–78.9	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	72.565.2–79.1	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	72.765.3–79.4	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	72.865.3–79.7	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	7365.3–79.8	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	73.165.1–80.1	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	73.365.3–80.4	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	73.565.4–80.7	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	73.665.4–80.9	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	73.865.6–81.2	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	73.965.7–81.4	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	74.165.4–81.8	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	74.365.5–82	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	74.465.6–82	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	74.665.7–82.4	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	74.765.6–82.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	74.965.6–82.7	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	7565.9–83.1	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	75.265.8–83.1	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	75.365.7–83.4	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	75.565.8–83.6	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	75.666–83.7	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	75.866.3–84	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	75.966–84.1	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	76.166.2–84.3	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	76.266.2–84.6	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	76.466.3–84.8	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	76.566.5–85	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	76.766.4–84.9	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	76.866.7–85.3	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	7766.7–85.6	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	77.166.8–85.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	77.366.8–85.7	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	77.466.7–86	74.564.6–84	80
2081	77.566.9–86.4	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	77.766.8–86.4	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	77.866.7–86.6	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	7866.8–86.7	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	78.167.1–86.7	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	78.366.8–87	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	78.466.8–87	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	78.667.1–87.1	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	78.767.4–87.3	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	78.967.1–87.4	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	7967.5–87.6	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	79.167.5–87.8	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	79.367.5–88	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	79.467.5–88.2	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	79.667.4–88.2	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	79.767.6–88.4	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	79.967.7–88.5	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	8067.6–88.6	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	80.167.6–88.9	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	80.367.7–88.9	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

Rwanda vs South Africa: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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