Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa
South Africa: Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 was 4.9 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.9 years
Change on year
down 5.5%
World rank
66th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.52 years
in 2011
All-time low
1.48 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa is 4.9 years, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 5.5% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa peaked at 5.52 years in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.48 years, in 1950.
South Africa ranks 66th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.48 years | — |
| 1951 | 1.58 years | +6.4% |
| 1952 | 1.69 years | +6.8% |
| 1953 | 1.82 years | +8.2% |
| 1954 | 1.99 years | +9.1% |
| 1955 | 2.14 years | +7.3% |
| 1956 | 2.28 years | +6.9% |
| 1957 | 2.42 years | +6.1% |
| 1958 | 2.48 years | +2.5% |
| 1959 | 2.56 years | +3.3% |
| 1960 | 2.59 years | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 2.78 years | +7.0% |
| 1962 | 2.73 years | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 2.79 years | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 2.8 years | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 2.83 years | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 2.87 years | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 2.95 years | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 3.02 years | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 3.08 years | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 3.17 years | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 3.16 years | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 3.07 years | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 3.02 years | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 3 years | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 2.94 years | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 3.06 years | +4.1% |
| 1977 | 3.21 years | +5.1% |
| 1978 | 3.25 years | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 3.35 years | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 3.48 years | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 3.53 years | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 3.61 years | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 3.68 years | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 3.87 years | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 4.06 years | +5.0% |
| 1986 | 4.24 years | +4.4% |
| 1987 | 4.39 years | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 4.69 years | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 4.82 years | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 4.96 years | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 5.01 years | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 4.99 years | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 4.94 years | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 4.78 years | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 4.55 years | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 4.87 years | +6.9% |
| 1997 | 4.89 years | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 4.9 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 4.92 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 5.08 years | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 4.89 years | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 4.99 years | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 5.18 years | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 5.13 years | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 4.73 years | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 4.87 years | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 5.04 years | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 5.34 years | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 5.38 years | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 5.49 years | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 5.52 years | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 5.46 years | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 5.45 years | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 5.46 years | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 5.32 years | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 5.5 years | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 5.43 years | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 5.28 years | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 5.16 years | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 4.58 years | -11.1% |
| 2021 | 4.1 years | -10.6% |
| 2022 | 5.19 years | +26.6% |
| 2023 | 4.9 years | -5.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.05 years | 1.48 years | 2.56 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.84 years | 2.59 years | 3.08 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.12 years | 2.94 years | 3.35 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.04 years | 3.48 years | 4.82 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.88 years | 4.55 years | 5.01 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.06 years | 4.73 years | 5.38 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.41 years | 5.16 years | 5.52 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.69 years | 4.1 years | 5.19 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0424 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 2.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0426 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate -0.9299 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa?
- Sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 in South Africa was 4.9 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.52 years in 2011.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.48 years in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for sex gap in life expectancy at age 45?
- South Africa ranks 66th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy at age 45 rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.