Rwanda vs South Africa: Female life expectancy at birth

Rwanda
69.89 years
in 2023
South Africa
69.6 years
in 2023
Rwanda rank
193rd
South Africa rank
196th

Female life expectancy at birth over time

  • Rwanda
  • South Africa
204060195019862023

How they compare

Rwanda currently reports 69.89 years against 69.6 years in South Africa, a difference of 0.29 years.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.

Rwanda ranks 193rd and South Africa ranks 196th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Rwanda averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Rwanda South Africa Difference Ahead
1950s 45.21 years 49.08 years 3.87 years South Africa
1960s 47.97 years 56.39 years 8.41 years South Africa
1970s 46.58 years 59.87 years 13.29 years South Africa
1980s 51.95 years 65.01 years 13.06 years South Africa
1990s 43.02 years 65.14 years 22.12 years South Africa
2000s 56.98 years 57.64 years 0.6599 years South Africa
2010s 66.98 years 66.19 years 0.796 years Rwanda
2020s 69.37 years 67.84 years 1.53 years Rwanda

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher female life expectancy at birth, Rwanda or South Africa?
Rwanda, at 69.89 years against 69.6 years in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in female life expectancy at birth between Rwanda and South Africa?
0.29 years, with Rwanda ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Rwanda and South Africa?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Rwanda and South Africa rank globally for female life expectancy at birth?
Rwanda ranks 193rd and South Africa ranks 196th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Female life expectancy at birth. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Rwanda vs South Africa: Female life expectancy at birth. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/womens-life-expectancy-at-birth/rwanda/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Female life expectancy at birth
Unit
years
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Period life expectancy at birth.