Which has higher life expectancy, Somalia or South Sudan?

Somalia, at 58.82 years against 57.62 years in South Sudan as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Somalia and South Sudan?

74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Somalia vs South Sudan: Life expectancy

Somalia

58.82 years

in 2023

South Sudan

57.62 years

in 2023

Somalia rank

231st

South Sudan rank

232nd

Life expectancy over time

Somalia
South Sudan

How they compare

Somalia currently reports 58.82 years against 57.62 years in South Sudan, a difference of 1.2 years.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Somalia ahead.

Somalia ranks 231st and South Sudan ranks 232nd of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Somalia averaged higher in 6 and South Sudan in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Somalia	South Sudan	Difference	Ahead
1950s	42.4 years	30.49 years	11.91 years	Somalia
1960s	44.5 years	27.73 years	16.77 years	Somalia
1970s	45.86 years	34.75 years	11.11 years	Somalia
1980s	47.64 years	30.66 years	16.98 years	Somalia
1990s	45.1 years	30.72 years	14.39 years	Somalia
2000s	51.01 years	52.81 years	1.8 years	South Sudan
2010s	51.35 years	49.92 years	1.43 years	Somalia
2020s	56.39 years	57.38 years	0.9926 years	South Sudan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher life expectancy, Somalia or South Sudan?: Somalia, at 58.82 years against 57.62 years in South Sudan as of 2023.
What is the difference in life expectancy between Somalia and South Sudan?: 1.2 years, with Somalia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Somalia and South Sudan?: 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Somalia and South Sudan rank globally for life expectancy?: Somalia ranks 231st and South Sudan ranks 232nd of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Somalia vs South Sudan: Life expectancy. Statizoid, drawing on Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/life-expectancy-hmd-unwpp/somalia-fed-rep/south-sudan/

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About this data

Indicator: Life expectancy
Unit: years
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 18,722 data points, 1751–2023
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Period life expectancy at birth among totals, in a given year.