Ghana vs South Africa: Life expectancy at birth, by sex
Ghana
63.13 years
in 2023
South Africa
62.61 years
in 2023
Ghana rank
206th
South Africa rank
207th
Life expectancy at birth, by sex over time
- Ghana
- South Africa
How they compare
Ghana currently reports 63.13 years against 62.61 years in South Africa, a difference of 0.52 years.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
Ghana ranks 206th and South Africa ranks 207th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Ghana averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ghana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 43.18 years | 46.28 years | 3.1 years | South Africa |
| 1960s | 45.54 years | 52.26 years | 6.72 years | South Africa |
| 1970s | 47.31 years | 55.22 years | 7.91 years | South Africa |
| 1980s | 50.95 years | 58.87 years | 7.92 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 55.39 years | 58.23 years | 2.85 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 58.2 years | 53.25 years | 4.95 years | Ghana |
| 2010s | 61.11 years | 60.09 years | 1.02 years | Ghana |
| 2020s | 62.56 years | 61.45 years | 1.11 years | Ghana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy at birth, by sex, Ghana or South Africa?
- Ghana, at 63.13 years against 62.61 years in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life expectancy at birth, by sex between Ghana and South Africa?
- 0.52 years, with Ghana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and South Africa?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
- How do Ghana and South Africa rank globally for life expectancy at birth, by sex?
- Ghana ranks 206th and South Africa ranks 207th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Life expectancy at birth, by sex. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.