Sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America
United States of America: Sex gap in life expectancy was 4.98 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
4.98 years
Change on year
down 8.7%
World rank
121st
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.73 years
in 1975
All-time low
3.61 years
in 1933
Years of data
91
1933–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America, 1933–2023
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 United States of America is 4.98 years, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 8.7% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America peaked at 7.73 years in 1975 and was at its lowest, 3.61 years, in 1933.
That places United States of America 121st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 3.61 years | — |
| 1934 | 4.01 years | +11.1% |
| 1935 | 4.07 years | +1.5% |
| 1936 | 4.25 years | +4.4% |
| 1937 | 4.37 years | +2.8% |
| 1938 | 4.08 years | -6.6% |
| 1939 | 4.12 years | +1.0% |
| 1940 | 4.42 years | +7.3% |
| 1941 | 4.68 years | +5.9% |
| 1942 | 4.92 years | +5.1% |
| 1943 | 4.99 years | +1.4% |
| 1944 | 5.22 years | +4.6% |
| 1945 | 5.38 years | +3.1% |
| 1946 | 5.29 years | -1.7% |
| 1947 | 5.23 years | -1.1% |
| 1948 | 5.41 years | +3.4% |
| 1949 | 5.5 years | +1.7% |
| 1950 | 5.62 years | +2.1% |
| 1951 | 5.81 years | +3.4% |
| 1952 | 5.95 years | +2.5% |
| 1953 | 6.12 years | +2.8% |
| 1954 | 6.12 years | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 6.22 years | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 6.34 years | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 6.38 years | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 6.4 years | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 6.56 years | +2.5% |
| 1960 | 6.69 years | +2.0% |
| 1961 | 6.67 years | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.71 years | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 6.87 years | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 6.99 years | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 7.13 years | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 7.28 years | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 7.4 years | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 7.53 years | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 7.63 years | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 7.63 years | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 7.59 years | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 7.69 years | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 7.7 years | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 7.66 years | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 7.73 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 7.6 years | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 7.67 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 7.6 years | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 7.65 years | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 7.49 years | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 7.39 years | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 7.27 years | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 7.12 years | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 7.05 years | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 7.1 years | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 7.12 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 7.04 years | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 6.98 years | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 6.96 years | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 6.99 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 6.93 years | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 6.86 years | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 6.76 years | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 6.67 years | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 6.5 years | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 6.15 years | -5.4% |
| 1997 | 5.83 years | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 5.62 years | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 5.43 years | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 5.31 years | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 5.25 years | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 5.23 years | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 5.17 years | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 5.1 years | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 5.12 years | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 5.09 years | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 5.05 years | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 4.94 years | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 4.89 years | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 4.82 years | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 4.74 years | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 4.74 years | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 4.75 years | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 4.77 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 4.81 years | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 4.96 years | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 5 years | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 5.01 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 5.01 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5.54 years | +10.4% |
| 2021 | 5.75 years | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 5.46 years | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 4.98 years | -8.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 4.07 years | 3.61 years | 4.37 years | 7 |
| 1940s | 5.1 years | 4.42 years | 5.5 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.15 years | 5.62 years | 6.56 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.09 years | 6.67 years | 7.63 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.65 years | 7.59 years | 7.73 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.15 years | 6.96 years | 7.49 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.37 years | 5.43 years | 6.99 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.12 years | 4.89 years | 5.31 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.86 years | 4.74 years | 5.01 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.43 years | 4.98 years | 5.75 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 118 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 5.02 years compare
- 119 New Caledonia 5.01 years compare
- 120 Singapore 5 years compare
- 122 Djibouti 4.98 years compare
- 123 Barbados 4.98 years compare
- 124 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 4.93 years compare
More health data for United States of America
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,069 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate -1.63 % 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 -1.5 % 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 0.0357 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in United States of America was 4.98 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 States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 7.73 years in 1975.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.61 years in 1933.
- How does United States of America rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- United States of America ranks 121st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States of America 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.