Sex gap in life expectancy in India
India: Sex gap in life expectancy was 3.08 years in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
3.08 years
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
218th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.41 years
in 2020
All-time low
-1.53 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in India, 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 in India is 3.08 years, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in India peaked at 3.41 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, -1.53 years, in 1950.
That places India 218th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sex gap in life expectancy in India, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -1.53 years | — |
| 1951 | -1.47 years | -3.4% |
| 1952 | -1.43 years | -2.6% |
| 1953 | -1.39 years | -3.1% |
| 1954 | -1.38 years | -0.6% |
| 1955 | -1.38 years | -0.2% |
| 1956 | -1.38 years | +0.1% |
| 1957 | -1.39 years | +1.0% |
| 1958 | -1.41 years | +1.2% |
| 1959 | -1.42 years | +0.9% |
| 1960 | -1.41 years | -0.7% |
| 1961 | -1.38 years | -2.5% |
| 1962 | -1.34 years | -2.8% |
| 1963 | -1.3 years | -3.2% |
| 1964 | -1.26 years | -3.2% |
| 1965 | -1.11 years | -11.7% |
| 1966 | -1.08 years | -2.4% |
| 1967 | -1.06 years | -1.9% |
| 1968 | -1.15 years | +7.9% |
| 1969 | -1.13 years | -1.1% |
| 1970 | -1.11 years | -1.9% |
| 1971 | -1.1 years | -1.1% |
| 1972 | -1.06 years | -3.9% |
| 1973 | -1.03 years | -2.9% |
| 1974 | -0.9923 years | -3.3% |
| 1975 | -0.93 years | -6.3% |
| 1976 | -0.8412 years | -9.5% |
| 1977 | -0.7372 years | -12.4% |
| 1978 | -0.5739 years | -22.2% |
| 1979 | -0.4052 years | -29.4% |
| 1980 | -0.2157 years | -46.8% |
| 1981 | -0.0163 years | -92.4% |
| 1982 | 0.1886 years | -1257.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3906 years | +107.1% |
| 1984 | 0.5857 years | +49.9% |
| 1985 | 0.7631 years | +30.3% |
| 1986 | 0.9267 years | +21.4% |
| 1987 | 1.07 years | +15.7% |
| 1988 | 1.2 years | +11.8% |
| 1989 | 1.3 years | +8.4% |
| 1990 | 1.39 years | +7.4% |
| 1991 | 1.46 years | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 1.51 years | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 1.52 years | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 1.55 years | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 1.57 years | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 1.61 years | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 1.68 years | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 1.77 years | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 1.88 years | +6.3% |
| 2000 | 2.03 years | +8.1% |
| 2001 | 2.18 years | +6.9% |
| 2002 | 2.34 years | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 2.49 years | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 2.62 years | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 2.77 years | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 2.88 years | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 2.99 years | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 3.07 years | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 3.12 years | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 3.16 years | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 3.19 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 3.19 years | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 3.18 years | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 3.15 years | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.11 years | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 3.07 years | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 3.02 years | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 2.99 years | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 2.98 years | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 3.41 years | +14.6% |
| 2021 | 2.96 years | -13.0% |
| 2022 | 3.03 years | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 3.08 years | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | -1.42 years | -1.53 years | -1.38 years | 10 |
| 1960s | -1.22 years | -1.41 years | -1.06 years | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.8773 years | -1.11 years | -0.4052 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6193 years | -0.2157 years | 1.3 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6 years | 1.39 years | 1.88 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.65 years | 2.03 years | 3.12 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1 years | 2.98 years | 3.19 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.12 years | 2.96 years | 3.41 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
- 215 Netherlands 3.2 years compare
- 216 Maldives 3.13 years compare
- 217 Norway 3.1 years compare
- 219 Afghanistan 3.07 years compare
- 220 Nepal 3 years compare
- 221 San Marino 2.89 years compare
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 3,249 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 17,995 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in India?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in India was 3.08 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 3.41 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.53 years in 1950.
- How does India rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- India ranks 218th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.
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About this data
Difference in period life expectancy (females - males) at a given age.