Iceland vs Japan: Healthy life expectancy

Iceland
71.37 Years
in 2021
Japan
73.4 Years
in 2021
Iceland rank
4th
Japan rank
2nd

Healthy life expectancy over time

  • Iceland
  • Japan
020406080200020102021

How they compare

Japan currently reports 73.4 Years against 71.37 Years in Iceland, a difference of 2.03 Years.

Across all 22 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Iceland ranks 4th and Japan ranks 2nd of 185 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Japan Difference Ahead
2000s 69.95 Years 71.73 Years 1.79 Years Japan
2010s 71.09 Years 72.94 Years 1.85 Years Japan
2020s 71.37 Years 73.52 Years 2.15 Years Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher healthy life expectancy, Iceland or Japan?
Japan, at 73.4 Years against 71.37 Years in Iceland as of 2021.
What is the difference in healthy life expectancy between Iceland and Japan?
2.03 Years, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Japan?
22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
How do Iceland and Japan rank globally for healthy life expectancy?
Iceland ranks 4th and Japan ranks 2nd of 185 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Healthy life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Japan: Healthy life expectancy. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/healthy-life-expectancy-at-birth/iceland/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Healthy life expectancy
Unit
Years
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 4,070 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

The estimated average number of years lived free from disability or disease burden. This is based on period life expectancy, after adjusting for the number of years lived in less than "full health" due to disease and/or injury.