South Africa vs Zambia: Healthy life expectancy
South Africa
52.76 Years
in 2021
Zambia
52.97 Years
in 2021
South Africa rank
174th
Zambia rank
172nd
Healthy life expectancy over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 52.97 Years against 52.76 Years in South Africa, a difference of 0.21 Years.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 174th and Zambia ranks 172nd of 185 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 46.68 Years | 43.47 Years | 3.21 Years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 53.61 Years | 52.2 Years | 1.4 Years | South Africa |
| 2020s | 53.9 Years | 53.44 Years | 0.4541 Years | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher healthy life expectancy, South Africa or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 52.97 Years against 52.76 Years in South Africa as of 2021.
- What is the difference in healthy life expectancy between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0.21 Years, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for healthy life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 174th and Zambia ranks 172nd 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.