Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 78.7 years in Saudi Arabia and 66.1 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 12.6 years, or 1.19 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

Saudi ArabiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Saudi Arabia has been higher since 1975, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia ranked 64 and South Africa ranked 194 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Saudi Arabia at 90.3 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	Saudi Arabia	South Africa	World
2023	78.7	66.1	73.2
2022	77.3	65.5	72.6
2021	77.1	62	70.9
2020	77.6	65.2	71.9
2019	78.3	66.1	72.6
2018	78.8	65.7	72.4
2017	78.7	65.4	72.1
2016	78.4	64.8	71.9
2015	77.8	64.1	71.6
2014	77.1	63.2	71.4
2013	76.5	62.4	71.1
2012	76.1	61.7	70.8
2011	75.8	60.6	70.4
2010	75.6	58.9	70.1
2009	75.5	57.4	69.7
2008	75.3	56	69.3
2007	75.1	55	69
2006	74.8	54.2	68.6
2005	74.4	53.9	68.1
2004	74	54	67.7
2003	73.7	54.3	67.4
2002	73.3	55.6	67.1
2001	73	57.2	66.8
2000	72.6	58.4	66.4
1999	72.3	59.2	66
1998	72	59.9	65.7
1997	71.6	60.5	65.5
1996	71.3	61.1	65.2
1995	70.9	61.6	64.9
1994	70.6	62.1	64.3
1993	70.2	62.6	64.4
1992	69.8	62.8	64.3
1991	69.3	63	64.1
1990	68.9	62.9	64
1989	68.4	63	63.8
1988	67.8	62.9	63.4
1987	67.2	62.7	63.2
1986	66.7	62.4	62.7
1985	66	62.2	62.2
1984	65.4	61.8	61.9
1983	64.7	61.4	61.5
1982	64	60.9	61.3
1981	63.3	60.5	60.9
1980	62.4	60	60.5
1979	61.5	59.5	60.2
1978	60.7	59	59.5
1977	59.8	58.5	59.2
1976	58.8	58	58.6
1975	57.8	57.6	58.3
1974	56.8	57.1	58.1
1973	55.8	56.7	57.7
1972	54.7	56.4	57.2
1971	53.7	56	56
1970	52.7	55.7	56.3
1969	51.8	55.4	56
1968	50.9	55.2	55.6
1967	50	55	55.1
1966	49.2	54.7	54.6
1965	48.4	54.4	54
1964	47.7	54.2	54.3
1963	47.1	53.9	53.7
1962	46.5	53.6	53.2
1961	45.9	53.1	50.4
1960	45.3	52.6	47.8
1959	44.8	51.9	49.6
1958	44.2	51.2	51.6
1957	43.7	50.2	51.1
1956	43.1	49.2	50.7
1955	42.6	48.2	50.2
1954	42.1	47.1	49.7
1953	41.6	46.1	48.8
1952	41.1	45.1	48.2
1951	40.6	44.1	47.1
1950	40	43.1	46.4

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Saudi Arabia	South Africa	World
2024	7978–80	66.365–67.7	73.3
2025	79.277.8–80.5	66.564.5–68.5	73.5
2026	79.477.7–81	66.764.3–69	73.8
2027	79.677.7–81.5	66.864–69.6	73.9
2028	79.877.7–81.9	6763.8–70.1	74.1
2029	8077.6–82.3	67.263.7–70.5	74.2
2030	80.377.6–82.6	67.363.6–71	74.4
2031	80.577.6–83	67.563.6–71.2	74.5
2032	80.777.6–83.4	67.663.5–71.7	74.7
2033	80.977.8–83.9	67.863.5–71.9	74.8
2034	81.177.8–84.2	6863.4–72.3	75
2035	81.377.9–84.4	68.163.4–72.8	75.1
2036	81.577.9–84.7	68.363.2–73	75.3
2037	81.778.1–85	68.463.2–73.2	75.4
2038	81.978.2–85.4	68.663.1–73.3	75.5
2039	82.178.2–85.6	68.763.3–73.9	75.7
2040	82.378.3–85.8	68.963.3–74	75.8
2041	82.578.5–86	6963.1–74.5	75.9
2042	82.678.5–86.3	69.263.1–74.7	76.1
2043	82.878.6–86.6	69.363.2–74.9	76.2
2044	8378.6–86.9	69.563.3–75.2	76.3
2045	83.278.5–87	69.663.4–75.4	76.5
2046	83.378.6–87.3	69.863.4–75.8	76.6
2047	83.578.6–87.4	69.963.3–76	76.7
2048	83.778.7–87.7	70.163.1–76.2	76.8
2049	83.878.7–87.9	70.263.1–76.5	76.9
2050	8478.8–88.2	70.363.3–76.7	77
2051	84.279.3–88.4	70.563.6–77.1	77.1
2052	84.379.3–88.5	70.663.5–77.3	77.2
2053	84.579.4–88.8	70.863.3–77.8	77.3
2054	84.679.6–89	70.963.5–78	77.4
2055	84.879.9–89.1	7163.5–78.2	77.6
2056	84.979.9–89.4	71.263.5–78.7	77.7
2057	85.180–89.6	71.363.7–78.9	77.8
2058	85.280.2–89.8	71.563.6–79.1	77.9
2059	85.480.2–90.1	71.663.7–79.5	78
2060	85.580.4–90.1	71.763.6–79.6	78.1
2061	85.780.5–90.4	71.963.7–79.8	78.2
2062	85.880.5–90.6	7263.7–79.9	78.3
2063	8680.7–90.8	72.263.9–80.1	78.4
2064	86.180.8–91.2	72.364–80.4	78.5
2065	86.281–91.3	72.464.1–80.6	78.6
2066	86.481.1–91.4	72.664.2–80.7	78.7
2067	86.581.2–91.5	72.764.1–81.3	78.8
2068	86.681.3–91.9	72.964.1–81.4	78.9
2069	86.881.4–91.9	7364.2–81.6	79
2070	86.981.6–92.3	73.164.2–82	79.1
2071	8781.8–92.5	73.364.1–82.3	79.2
2072	87.281.7–92.5	73.464.4–82.5	79.3
2073	87.381.8–92.6	73.664.2–82.8	79.4
2074	87.482.1–93	73.764.3–82.7	79.4
2075	87.582.1–93.1	73.864.5–82.9	79.5
2076	87.782.1–93.2	7464.5–83.2	79.6
2077	87.882.2–93.5	74.164.6–83.3	79.7
2078	87.982.4–93.6	74.364.5–83.7	79.8
2079	8882.5–93.8	74.464.8–83.8	79.9
2080	88.182.6–94.1	74.564.6–84	80
2081	88.382.7–94.2	74.764.7–84.1	80.1
2082	88.482.7–94.4	74.864.7–84.2	80.2
2083	88.582.9–94.8	7564.7–84.4	80.3
2084	88.683–95.1	75.164.7–84.6	80.3
2085	88.783–95.1	75.264.8–84.7	80.4
2086	88.883.1–95.2	75.464.8–84.8	80.5
2087	8983.1–95.3	75.565–85.2	80.6
2088	89.183.1–95.7	75.765–85.2	80.7
2089	89.283–95.8	75.865.2–85.5	80.8
2090	89.383.3–95.9	75.965.3–85.5	80.9
2091	89.483.4–96.1	76.165.3–85.6	81
2092	89.583.7–96.3	76.265.2–85.8	81
2093	89.683.6–96.4	76.365.6–86.1	81.1
2094	89.783.8–96.6	76.565.5–86.2	81.2
2095	89.883.9–96.8	76.665.4–86.3	81.3
2096	89.983.9–97	76.865.3–86.5	81.4
2097	9084–97.3	76.965.3–86.8	81.5
2098	90.184–97.5	77.165.3–86.9	81.6
2099	90.284.2–97.7	77.265.1–87.1	81.7
2100	90.384.3–97.9	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

Saudi Arabia vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSaudi Arabia: 31 deaths in 2022South Africa: 0 deaths in 2022