Which has higher sex gap in life expectancy, Bulgaria or South Africa?

Bulgaria, at 7.05 years against 6.99 years in South Africa as of 2023.

What is the difference in sex gap in life expectancy between Bulgaria and South Africa?

0.06 years, with Bulgaria ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and South Africa?

74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Bulgaria vs South Africa: Sex gap in life expectancy

Bulgaria

7.05 years

in 2023

South Africa

6.99 years

in 2023

Bulgaria rank

35th

South Africa rank

38th

Sex gap in life expectancy over time

Bulgaria
South Africa

How they compare

Bulgaria currently reports 7.05 years against 6.99 years in South Africa, a difference of 0.06 years.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Bulgaria ahead.

Bulgaria ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 38th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Bulgaria	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1950s	3.35 years	2.8 years	0.5494 years	Bulgaria
1960s	3.8 years	4.12 years	0.322 years	South Africa
1970s	4.83 years	4.65 years	0.1744 years	Bulgaria
1980s	6.03 years	6.14 years	0.1129 years	South Africa
1990s	7.11 years	6.9 years	0.2122 years	Bulgaria
2000s	7.02 years	4.39 years	2.63 years	Bulgaria
2010s	7.02 years	6.1 years	0.9207 years	Bulgaria
2020s	7.2 years	6.39 years	0.8115 years	Bulgaria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher sex gap in life expectancy, Bulgaria or South Africa?: Bulgaria, at 7.05 years against 6.99 years in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in sex gap in life expectancy between Bulgaria and South Africa?: 0.06 years, with Bulgaria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and South Africa?: 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Bulgaria and South Africa rank globally for sex gap in life expectancy?: Bulgaria ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 38th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bulgaria vs South Africa: Sex gap in life expectancy. Statizoid, drawing on Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/difference-in-female-and-male-life-expectancy-at-birth/bulgaria/south-africa/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/difference-in-female-and-male-life-expectancy-at-birth/bulgaria/south-africa/">Bulgaria vs South Africa: Sex gap in life expectancy</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Sex gap in life expectancy
Unit: years
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 18,722 data points, 1751–2023
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.