South Africa vs Zambia: Life expectancy at birth, total
South Africa
66.31 years
in 2024
Zambia
66.53 years
in 2024
South Africa rank
184th
Zambia rank
182nd
Life expectancy at birth, total over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 66.53 years against 66.31 years in South Africa, a difference of 0.22 years.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 184th and Zambia ranks 182nd of 218 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.21 years | 51.84 years | 2.36 years | South Africa |
| 1970s | 57.44 years | 55.25 years | 2.2 years | South Africa |
| 1980s | 61.78 years | 52.35 years | 9.43 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 61.58 years | 46.48 years | 15.1 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 55.58 years | 51.14 years | 4.44 years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 63.28 years | 60.15 years | 3.13 years | South Africa |
| 2020s | 65.01 years | 64.78 years | 0.237 years | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy at birth, total, South Africa or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 66.53 years against 66.31 years in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in life expectancy at birth, total between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0.22 years, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for life expectancy at birth, total?
- South Africa ranks 184th and Zambia ranks 182nd of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.