Sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium
Belgium: Sex gap in life expectancy was 4.47 years in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
4.47 years
Change on year
down 9.4%
World rank
143rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
8.95 years
in 1940
All-time low
-0.48 years
in 1845
Years of data
178
1841–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium, 1841–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 4.47 years for sex gap in life expectancy in 2023.
That represents a change of down 9.4% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium peaked at 8.95 years in 1940 and was at its lowest, -0.48 years, in 1845.
That places Belgium 143rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | 0.04 years | — |
| 1842 | -0.25 years | -725.0% |
| 1843 | -0.24 years | -4.0% |
| 1844 | -0.3 years | +25.0% |
| 1845 | -0.48 years | +60.0% |
| 1846 | 0.73 years | -252.1% |
| 1847 | 1.41 years | +93.2% |
| 1848 | -0.26 years | -118.4% |
| 1849 | 0.04 years | -115.4% |
| 1850 | -0.33 years | -925.1% |
| 1851 | -0.28 years | -15.2% |
| 1852 | -0.17 years | -39.3% |
| 1853 | 0 years | -100.0% |
| 1854 | 0.62 years | — |
| 1855 | 0.75 years | +21.0% |
| 1856 | 0.45 years | -40.0% |
| 1857 | 0.35 years | -22.2% |
| 1858 | 0.97 years | +177.1% |
| 1859 | 1.03 years | +6.2% |
| 1860 | 1.22 years | +18.4% |
| 1861 | 1.05 years | -13.9% |
| 1862 | 1.02 years | -2.9% |
| 1863 | 1.15 years | +12.7% |
| 1864 | 0.8 years | -30.4% |
| 1865 | 1.28 years | +60.0% |
| 1866 | 1.61 years | +25.8% |
| 1867 | 2.02 years | +25.5% |
| 1868 | 1.91 years | -5.4% |
| 1869 | 1.39 years | -27.2% |
| 1870 | 1.61 years | +15.8% |
| 1871 | 1.67 years | +3.7% |
| 1872 | 1.92 years | +15.0% |
| 1873 | 2.3 years | +19.8% |
| 1874 | 2.22 years | -3.5% |
| 1875 | 2.38 years | +7.2% |
| 1876 | 2.34 years | -1.7% |
| 1877 | 2.46 years | +5.1% |
| 1878 | 2.69 years | +9.3% |
| 1879 | 2.61 years | -3.0% |
| 1880 | 2.93 years | +12.3% |
| 1881 | 2.91 years | -0.7% |
| 1882 | 2.96 years | +1.7% |
| 1883 | 2.99 years | +1.0% |
| 1884 | 2.89 years | -3.3% |
| 1885 | 2.87 years | -0.7% |
| 1886 | 3.04 years | +5.9% |
| 1887 | 3.31 years | +8.9% |
| 1888 | 3.66 years | +10.6% |
| 1889 | 3.33 years | -9.0% |
| 1890 | 3.82 years | +14.7% |
| 1891 | 3.55 years | -7.1% |
| 1892 | 3.2 years | -9.9% |
| 1893 | 3.13 years | -2.2% |
| 1894 | 3.96 years | +26.5% |
| 1895 | 3.4 years | -14.1% |
| 1896 | 3.3 years | -2.9% |
| 1897 | 3.4 years | +3.0% |
| 1898 | 3.73 years | +9.7% |
| 1899 | 3.36 years | -9.9% |
| 1900 | 3.53 years | +5.1% |
| 1901 | 3.45 years | -2.3% |
| 1902 | 3.28 years | -4.9% |
| 1903 | 3.45 years | +5.2% |
| 1904 | 3.08 years | -10.7% |
| 1905 | 3.22 years | +4.5% |
| 1906 | 3.27 years | +1.6% |
| 1907 | 3.34 years | +2.1% |
| 1908 | 3.25 years | -2.7% |
| 1909 | 3.41 years | +4.9% |
| 1910 | 3.29 years | -3.5% |
| 1911 | 3.58 years | +8.8% |
| 1912 | 3.58 years | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 3.75 years | +4.7% |
| 1919 | 3.57 years | -4.8% |
| 1920 | 3.79 years | +6.2% |
| 1921 | 3.38 years | -10.8% |
| 1922 | 3.32 years | -1.8% |
| 1923 | 3.73 years | +12.3% |
| 1924 | 3.6 years | -3.5% |
| 1925 | 3.61 years | +0.3% |
| 1926 | 3.64 years | +0.8% |
| 1927 | 3.56 years | -2.2% |
| 1928 | 3.67 years | +3.1% |
| 1929 | 3.78 years | +3.0% |
| 1930 | 4.16 years | +10.1% |
| 1931 | 4.04 years | -2.9% |
| 1932 | 3.74 years | -7.4% |
| 1933 | 3.85 years | +2.9% |
| 1934 | 3.94 years | +2.3% |
| 1935 | 4.05 years | +2.8% |
| 1936 | 4.45 years | +9.9% |
| 1937 | 4.15 years | -6.7% |
| 1938 | 4.61 years | +11.1% |
| 1939 | 4.51 years | -2.2% |
| 1940 | 8.95 years | +98.4% |
| 1941 | 5.74 years | -35.9% |
| 1942 | 5.5 years | -4.2% |
| 1943 | 5.09 years | -7.5% |
| 1944 | 7.27 years | +42.8% |
| 1945 | 5.71 years | -21.5% |
| 1946 | 5.69 years | -0.4% |
| 1947 | 5.4 years | -5.1% |
| 1948 | 5.26 years | -2.6% |
| 1949 | 5.14 years | -2.3% |
| 1950 | 5.07 years | -1.3% |
| 1951 | 4.99 years | -1.6% |
| 1952 | 4.92 years | -1.4% |
| 1953 | 5.02 years | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 5.03 years | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 5.31 years | +5.7% |
| 1956 | 5.47 years | +3.1% |
| 1957 | 5.36 years | -2.1% |
| 1958 | 5.29 years | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 5.47 years | +3.4% |
| 1960 | 5.93 years | +8.5% |
| 1961 | 5.98 years | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 5.74 years | -4.1% |
| 1963 | 6 years | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 6.08 years | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 6.07 years | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 6 years | -1.3% |
| 1967 | 6.24 years | +4.0% |
| 1968 | 6.23 years | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.49 years | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 6.32 years | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 6.48 years | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 6.51 years | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 6.5 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 6.46 years | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 6.43 years | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 6.55 years | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 6.58 years | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 6.67 years | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 6.61 years | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 6.79 years | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 6.77 years | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 6.57 years | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 6.54 years | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 6.83 years | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 6.8 years | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 6.66 years | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 6.71 years | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 6.69 years | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 6.59 years | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 6.63 years | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 6.62 years | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 6.69 years | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 6.8 years | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 6.64 years | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 6.75 years | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 6.63 years | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 6.39 years | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 6.26 years | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 6.5 years | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 6.33 years | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 6.24 years | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 6.1 years | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 5.84 years | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 5.88 years | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 5.71 years | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 5.64 years | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 5.46 years | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 5.53 years | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 5.27 years | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 5.26 years | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 5.1 years | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 5.2 years | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 4.98 years | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 4.95 years | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 4.59 years | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 4.9 years | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 4.65 years | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 4.47 years | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 4.4 years | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 4.52 years | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 4.79 years | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 4.93 years | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 4.47 years | -9.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 0.0767 years | -0.48 years | 1.41 years | 9 |
| 1850s | 0.339 years | -0.33 years | 1.03 years | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.34 years | 0.8 years | 2.02 years | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.22 years | 1.61 years | 2.69 years | 10 |
| 1880s | 3.09 years | 2.87 years | 3.66 years | 10 |
| 1890s | 3.49 years | 3.13 years | 3.96 years | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.33 years | 3.08 years | 3.53 years | 10 |
| 1910s | 3.55 years | 3.29 years | 3.75 years | 5 |
| 1920s | 3.61 years | 3.32 years | 3.79 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 4.15 years | 3.74 years | 4.61 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.97 years | 5.09 years | 8.95 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.19 years | 4.92 years | 5.47 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.08 years | 5.74 years | 6.49 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.51 years | 6.32 years | 6.67 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.7 years | 6.54 years | 6.83 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.59 years | 6.26 years | 6.8 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8 years | 5.27 years | 6.33 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.85 years | 4.4 years | 5.26 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.68 years | 4.47 years | 4.93 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 140 Guernsey 4.56 years compare
- 141 Jordan 4.48 years compare
- 142 Vanuatu 4.48 years compare
- 144 Lao People's Democratic Republic 4.47 years compare
- 145 Turks and Caicos Islands 4.47 years compare
- 146 North Macedonia 4.46 years compare
More health data for Belgium
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2923 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,160 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 59 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 3.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0192 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in Belgium was 4.47 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 recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 8.95 years in 1940.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.48 years in 1845.
- How does Belgium rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- Belgium ranks 143rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 178 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.