South Africa
Life expectancy in South Africa
Life expectancy in South Africa: 43.1 years in 1950 and 66.1 years in 2023, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2023
- 66.1 years
- Since 1950
- +23 years
- Rank, 2023
- 194 of 229
- counting from the highest
- World, 2023
- 73.2 years
- Projected, 2100
- 77.3 years
- UN projection (medium variant)
years · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 77.3 years in 2100, between 65.5 years and 87.1 years (95% prediction interval).
Every year
years · UN
| Year | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 66.1 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 65.5 | 72.6 |
| 2021 | 62 | 70.9 |
| 2020 | 65.2 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 66.1 | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 65.7 | 72.4 |
| 2017 | 65.4 | 72.1 |
| 2016 | 64.8 | 71.9 |
| 2015 | 64.1 | 71.6 |
| 2014 | 63.2 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 62.4 | 71.1 |
| 2012 | 61.7 | 70.8 |
| 2011 | 60.6 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 58.9 | 70.1 |
| 2009 | 57.4 | 69.7 |
| 2008 | 56 | 69.3 |
| 2007 | 55 | 69 |
| 2006 | 54.2 | 68.6 |
| 2005 | 53.9 | 68.1 |
| 2004 | 54 | 67.7 |
| 2003 | 54.3 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 55.6 | 67.1 |
| 2001 | 57.2 | 66.8 |
| 2000 | 58.4 | 66.4 |
| 1999 | 59.2 | 66 |
| 1998 | 59.9 | 65.7 |
| 1997 | 60.5 | 65.5 |
| 1996 | 61.1 | 65.2 |
| 1995 | 61.6 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 62.1 | 64.3 |
| 1993 | 62.6 | 64.4 |
| 1992 | 62.8 | 64.3 |
| 1991 | 63 | 64.1 |
| 1990 | 62.9 | 64 |
| 1989 | 63 | 63.8 |
| 1988 | 62.9 | 63.4 |
| 1987 | 62.7 | 63.2 |
| 1986 | 62.4 | 62.7 |
| 1985 | 62.2 | 62.2 |
| 1984 | 61.8 | 61.9 |
| 1983 | 61.4 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 60.9 | 61.3 |
| 1981 | 60.5 | 60.9 |
| 1980 | 60 | 60.5 |
| 1979 | 59.5 | 60.2 |
| 1978 | 59 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 58.5 | 59.2 |
| 1976 | 58 | 58.6 |
| 1975 | 57.6 | 58.3 |
| 1974 | 57.1 | 58.1 |
| 1973 | 56.7 | 57.7 |
| 1972 | 56.4 | 57.2 |
| 1971 | 56 | 56 |
| 1970 | 55.7 | 56.3 |
| 1969 | 55.4 | 56 |
| 1968 | 55.2 | 55.6 |
| 1967 | 55 | 55.1 |
| 1966 | 54.7 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 54.4 | 54 |
| 1964 | 54.2 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 53.9 | 53.7 |
| 1962 | 53.6 | 53.2 |
| 1961 | 53.1 | 50.4 |
| 1960 | 52.6 | 47.8 |
| 1959 | 51.9 | 49.6 |
| 1958 | 51.2 | 51.6 |
| 1957 | 50.2 | 51.1 |
| 1956 | 49.2 | 50.7 |
| 1955 | 48.2 | 50.2 |
| 1954 | 47.1 | 49.7 |
| 1953 | 46.1 | 48.8 |
| 1952 | 45.1 | 48.2 |
| 1951 | 44.1 | 47.1 |
| 1950 | 43.1 | 46.4 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 66.365–67.7 | 73.3 |
| 2025 | 66.564.5–68.5 | 73.5 |
| 2026 | 66.764.3–69 | 73.8 |
| 2027 | 66.864–69.6 | 73.9 |
| 2028 | 6763.8–70.1 | 74.1 |
| 2029 | 67.263.7–70.5 | 74.2 |
| 2030 | 67.363.6–71 | 74.4 |
| 2031 | 67.563.6–71.2 | 74.5 |
| 2032 | 67.663.5–71.7 | 74.7 |
| 2033 | 67.863.5–71.9 | 74.8 |
| 2034 | 6863.4–72.3 | 75 |
| 2035 | 68.163.4–72.8 | 75.1 |
| 2036 | 68.363.2–73 | 75.3 |
| 2037 | 68.463.2–73.2 | 75.4 |
| 2038 | 68.663.1–73.3 | 75.5 |
| 2039 | 68.763.3–73.9 | 75.7 |
| 2040 | 68.963.3–74 | 75.8 |
| 2041 | 6963.1–74.5 | 75.9 |
| 2042 | 69.263.1–74.7 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 69.363.2–74.9 | 76.2 |
| 2044 | 69.563.3–75.2 | 76.3 |
| 2045 | 69.663.4–75.4 | 76.5 |
| 2046 | 69.863.4–75.8 | 76.6 |
| 2047 | 69.963.3–76 | 76.7 |
| 2048 | 70.163.1–76.2 | 76.8 |
| 2049 | 70.263.1–76.5 | 76.9 |
| 2050 | 70.363.3–76.7 | 77 |
| 2051 | 70.563.6–77.1 | 77.1 |
| 2052 | 70.663.5–77.3 | 77.2 |
| 2053 | 70.863.3–77.8 | 77.3 |
| 2054 | 70.963.5–78 | 77.4 |
| 2055 | 7163.5–78.2 | 77.6 |
| 2056 | 71.263.5–78.7 | 77.7 |
| 2057 | 71.363.7–78.9 | 77.8 |
| 2058 | 71.563.6–79.1 | 77.9 |
| 2059 | 71.663.7–79.5 | 78 |
| 2060 | 71.763.6–79.6 | 78.1 |
| 2061 | 71.963.7–79.8 | 78.2 |
| 2062 | 7263.7–79.9 | 78.3 |
| 2063 | 72.263.9–80.1 | 78.4 |
| 2064 | 72.364–80.4 | 78.5 |
| 2065 | 72.464.1–80.6 | 78.6 |
| 2066 | 72.664.2–80.7 | 78.7 |
| 2067 | 72.764.1–81.3 | 78.8 |
| 2068 | 72.964.1–81.4 | 78.9 |
| 2069 | 7364.2–81.6 | 79 |
| 2070 | 73.164.2–82 | 79.1 |
| 2071 | 73.364.1–82.3 | 79.2 |
| 2072 | 73.464.4–82.5 | 79.3 |
| 2073 | 73.664.2–82.8 | 79.4 |
| 2074 | 73.764.3–82.7 | 79.4 |
| 2075 | 73.864.5–82.9 | 79.5 |
| 2076 | 7464.5–83.2 | 79.6 |
| 2077 | 74.164.6–83.3 | 79.7 |
| 2078 | 74.364.5–83.7 | 79.8 |
| 2079 | 74.464.8–83.8 | 79.9 |
| 2080 | 74.564.6–84 | 80 |
| 2081 | 74.764.7–84.1 | 80.1 |
| 2082 | 74.864.7–84.2 | 80.2 |
| 2083 | 7564.7–84.4 | 80.3 |
| 2084 | 75.164.7–84.6 | 80.3 |
| 2085 | 75.264.8–84.7 | 80.4 |
| 2086 | 75.464.8–84.8 | 80.5 |
| 2087 | 75.565–85.2 | 80.6 |
| 2088 | 75.765–85.2 | 80.7 |
| 2089 | 75.865.2–85.5 | 80.8 |
| 2090 | 75.965.3–85.5 | 80.9 |
| 2091 | 76.165.3–85.6 | 81 |
| 2092 | 76.265.2–85.8 | 81 |
| 2093 | 76.365.6–86.1 | 81.1 |
| 2094 | 76.565.5–86.2 | 81.2 |
| 2095 | 76.665.4–86.3 | 81.3 |
| 2096 | 76.865.3–86.5 | 81.4 |
| 2097 | 76.965.3–86.8 | 81.5 |
| 2098 | 77.165.3–86.9 | 81.6 |
| 2099 | 77.265.1–87.1 | 81.7 |
| 2100 | 77.365.5–87.1 | 81.7 |
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
South Africa in numbers
Every measure for South Africa on one page
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Military
- Military spending0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$49 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel89,000 people in 2020
- National power0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports115 million TIV in 2025