Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China
China: Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 was 5.19 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.19 years
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
59th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.19 years
in 2023
All-time low
3.23 years
in 1972
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
China recorded 5.19 years for sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China peaked at 5.19 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.23 years, in 1972.
China ranks 59th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.53 years | — |
| 1951 | 3.48 years | -1.5% |
| 1952 | 3.51 years | +1.0% |
| 1953 | 3.42 years | -2.8% |
| 1954 | 3.4 years | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 3.64 years | +7.1% |
| 1956 | 3.6 years | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 3.64 years | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 3.72 years | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 3.53 years | -5.1% |
| 1960 | 3.3 years | -6.6% |
| 1961 | 3.48 years | +5.6% |
| 1962 | 3.83 years | +10.1% |
| 1963 | 3.79 years | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 3.77 years | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 3.8 years | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 3.68 years | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 3.61 years | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 3.5 years | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 3.45 years | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 3.37 years | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 3.24 years | -4.1% |
| 1972 | 3.23 years | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 3.35 years | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 3.51 years | +4.7% |
| 1975 | 3.54 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 3.46 years | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 3.58 years | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 3.58 years | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 3.58 years | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 3.59 years | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 3.63 years | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 3.65 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 3.68 years | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 3.7 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 3.74 years | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 3.79 years | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 3.87 years | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 3.91 years | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 3.88 years | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 3.74 years | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 3.8 years | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 3.77 years | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 3.94 years | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 4.02 years | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 4.17 years | +3.5% |
| 1996 | 4.19 years | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 4.2 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 4.17 years | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 4.1 years | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 4.13 years | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 4.15 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 4.18 years | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 4.22 years | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 4.24 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 4.32 years | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 4.36 years | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 4.3 years | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 4.38 years | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 4.45 years | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 4.39 years | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 4.57 years | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 4.63 years | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 4.64 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 4.71 years | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 4.77 years | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 4.85 years | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 5.17 years | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 4.95 years | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 4.89 years | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 5.18 years | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 4.9 years | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 5.14 years | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 5.19 years | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.55 years | 3.4 years | 3.72 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.62 years | 3.3 years | 3.83 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.45 years | 3.23 years | 3.58 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.74 years | 3.59 years | 3.91 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.01 years | 3.74 years | 4.2 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.27 years | 4.13 years | 4.45 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.76 years | 4.39 years | 5.17 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.1 years | 4.9 years | 5.19 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 56 Portugal 5.23 years compare
- 57 Taiwan 5.22 years compare
- 58 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 5.19 years compare
- 60 Saint Barthelemy 5.16 years compare
- 61 Bahamas 5.14 years compare
- 62 Uzbekistan 5.11 years compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.016 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0101 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 33,364 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China?
- Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in China was 5.19 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.19 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.23 years in 1972.
- How does China rank for sex gap in life expectancy at age 45?
- China ranks 59th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.