Sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Sex gap in life expectancy was 3.85 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.85 years
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
188th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.32 years
in 1969
All-time low
3.67 years
in 1922
Years of data
102
1922–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1922–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 3.85 years for sex gap in life expectancy in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6.32 years in 1969 and was at its lowest, 3.67 years, in 1922.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 188th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 102 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 3.67 years | — |
| 1923 | 3.81 years | +3.8% |
| 1924 | 3.83 years | +0.5% |
| 1925 | 3.85 years | +0.5% |
| 1926 | 3.91 years | +1.6% |
| 1927 | 3.97 years | +1.5% |
| 1928 | 4.04 years | +1.8% |
| 1929 | 3.96 years | -2.0% |
| 1930 | 4.2 years | +6.1% |
| 1931 | 4.03 years | -4.0% |
| 1932 | 3.84 years | -4.7% |
| 1933 | 3.86 years | +0.5% |
| 1934 | 3.93 years | +1.8% |
| 1935 | 4 years | +1.8% |
| 1936 | 4.21 years | +5.2% |
| 1937 | 4.18 years | -0.7% |
| 1938 | 4.35 years | +4.1% |
| 1939 | 4.42 years | +1.6% |
| 1940 | 5.34 years | +20.8% |
| 1941 | 6.06 years | +13.5% |
| 1942 | 6.1 years | +0.7% |
| 1943 | 5.9 years | -3.3% |
| 1944 | 6.2 years | +5.1% |
| 1945 | 5.53 years | -10.8% |
| 1946 | 4.92 years | -11.0% |
| 1947 | 4.77 years | -3.0% |
| 1948 | 4.61 years | -3.4% |
| 1949 | 4.48 years | -2.8% |
| 1950 | 4.68 years | +4.5% |
| 1951 | 4.97 years | +6.1% |
| 1952 | 5.27 years | +6.1% |
| 1953 | 5.25 years | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 5.39 years | +2.7% |
| 1955 | 5.4 years | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 5.52 years | +2.1% |
| 1957 | 5.71 years | +3.5% |
| 1958 | 5.7 years | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 5.68 years | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 5.84 years | +2.9% |
| 1961 | 5.84 years | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 5.96 years | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 6.01 years | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 6.15 years | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 6.22 years | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 6.22 years | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 6.15 years | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 6.15 years | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 6.32 years | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 6.29 years | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 6.28 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 6.23 years | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 6.27 years | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 6.23 years | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 6.2 years | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 6.15 years | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 6.14 years | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 6.13 years | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.13 years | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 6.06 years | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 6.03 years | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 5.91 years | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 5.94 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 5.88 years | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 5.75 years | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 5.85 years | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 5.75 years | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 5.72 years | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 5.5 years | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 5.66 years | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 5.53 years | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 5.45 years | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 5.33 years | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 5.31 years | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 5.26 years | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 5.18 years | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 5.02 years | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 5 years | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 4.89 years | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 4.82 years | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 4.73 years | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 4.67 years | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 4.43 years | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 4.43 years | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.29 years | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 4.37 years | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 4.28 years | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 4.14 years | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 4.18 years | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 3.99 years | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 3.96 years | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 3.71 years | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 3.78 years | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 3.75 years | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 3.68 years | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 3.68 years | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 3.7 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 3.7 years | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 3.72 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 4.04 years | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 3.95 years | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 3.92 years | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 3.85 years | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 3.88 years | 3.67 years | 4.04 years | 8 |
| 1930s | 4.1 years | 3.84 years | 4.42 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.39 years | 4.48 years | 6.2 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.36 years | 4.68 years | 5.71 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.09 years | 5.84 years | 6.32 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.21 years | 6.13 years | 6.29 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.84 years | 5.5 years | 6.06 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.26 years | 4.89 years | 5.66 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.43 years | 4.14 years | 4.82 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.77 years | 3.68 years | 3.99 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.94 years | 3.85 years | 4.04 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More health data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate -0.7278 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per capita 0.0333 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, annual growth rate -0.1504 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 3.85 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.32 years in 1969.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.67 years in 1922.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 188th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 — 102 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.