Life expectancy at birth is an important metric that provides insight into the overall health of a population. Governments use this information and other health data to create health policies, such as funding for healthcare, medical and health research, and wellness programs. This data is also factored into government plans for social programs like pensions as wellas as policies around taxation. Life expectancy is based on various factors such as genetics, lifestyle, access to healthcare, quality of healthcare, hygiene, diet and nutrition, and crime rate.

In 2023, the global life expectancy reached 73.32 years, an increase of 0.36 years from 72.96 years in 2022. Globally, life expectancy has been increasing by an average of 0.35 years per year between 1960 and 2023. During this period, there have only been three instances where the life expectancy experienced year-to-year declines: 1965, 2020, and 2021. Among countries, Monaco had the highest life expectancy at birth at 86.3 years in 2023. Monaco has topped the list since 1986, a span of 37 years. Meanwhile, Nigeria ranked last with a life expectancy at birth averaging 54.46 years.

What does life expectancy at birth mean?

The World Bank describes life expectancy at birth as the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if current mortality patterns remain unchanged. In other words, it examines the death rates of people at different ages during that year, providing a snapshot of the population's mortality trends. It’s important to note that life expectancy is an average and not everyone in a cohort will live to that age.

The 10 countries with the highest life expectancy at birth

Eight out of 10 countries with the highest life expectancy are in Europe, with the remaining two in Asia. Monaco tops the list in 2023, the 37th consecutive year it has held this spot. Every country on this list has a life expectancy at birth of at least 83.4 years for both sexes, and ranks near the top of the list for life expectancy at birth for both males and females.

The 10 countries with the lowest life expectancy at birth

The 10 countries with the lowest life expectancy at birth are all located in Africa. These nations have a life expectancy at birth of 61 years or less, about 22 years shorter than countries in the top 10.

How does life expectancy compare across genders?

Globally, women have higher life expectancies than men, 75.84 to 70.93 years. The life expectancy of men and women is highest in Monaco at 84.44 and 88.5 years, respectively. The life expectancy of men was lowest in Chad at 53.19 years. Meanwhile, women in Nigeria had the lowest life expectancy at 54.74 years.

The largest gap in life expectancy between genders is found in Ukraine, where the life expectancy of women was 13.29 years higher than men. The greatest parity can be found in the African nation of Togo where the life expectancy of women is 0.387 years higher than men.

The data referenced in this article comes from the following datasets: World Bank. Life expectancy at birth, total (years); World Bank. Life expectancy at birth, males (years); and World Bank. Life expectancy at birth, females (years).

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