Sierra Leone vs South Africa: Life expectancy
Sierra Leone
61.02 Years
in 2021
South Africa
61.5 Years
in 2021
Sierra Leone rank
171st
South Africa rank
168th
Life expectancy over time
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 61.5 Years against 61.02 Years in Sierra Leone, a difference of 0.48 Years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Sierra Leone ranks 171st and South Africa ranks 168th of 185 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sierra Leone | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 52.05 Years | 53.87 Years | 1.82 Years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 57.5 Years | 62.49 Years | 5 Years | South Africa |
| 2020s | 60.77 Years | 62.9 Years | 2.13 Years | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy, Sierra Leone or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 61.5 Years against 61.02 Years in Sierra Leone as of 2021.
- What is the difference in life expectancy between Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 0.48 Years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do Sierra Leone and South Africa rank globally for life expectancy?
- Sierra Leone ranks 171st and South Africa ranks 168th 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 Life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.