Sex gap in life expectancy in Zambia
Zambia: Sex gap in life expectancy was 4.74 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.74 years
Change on year
down 4.3%
World rank
132nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.22 years
in 2020
All-time low
1.09 years
in 2005
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 4.74 years, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 33.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy in Zambia peaked at 5.22 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.09 years, in 2005.
That places Zambia 132nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 in Zambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.19 years | — |
| 1951 | 2.09 years | -4.5% |
| 1952 | 2.07 years | -1.2% |
| 1953 | 2.05 years | -0.7% |
| 1954 | 2.01 years | -2.0% |
| 1955 | 2.04 years | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 2.06 years | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 2.09 years | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 2.17 years | +3.7% |
| 1959 | 2.25 years | +3.9% |
| 1960 | 2.13 years | -5.6% |
| 1961 | 2.08 years | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 2.13 years | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 2.08 years | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 2.64 years | +27.0% |
| 1965 | 2.25 years | -15.0% |
| 1966 | 2.27 years | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 2.34 years | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 2.35 years | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 2.4 years | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 2.35 years | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 2.38 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 2.44 years | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 2.34 years | -3.9% |
| 1974 | 2.4 years | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 2.48 years | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 2.65 years | +6.8% |
| 1977 | 2.84 years | +7.2% |
| 1978 | 2.9 years | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 3.27 years | +12.6% |
| 1980 | 3.34 years | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 3.44 years | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 3.58 years | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 3.4 years | -4.9% |
| 1984 | 3.48 years | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 3.46 years | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 3.3 years | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 3.1 years | -5.9% |
| 1988 | 2.86 years | -7.8% |
| 1989 | 2.73 years | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 2.5 years | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 2.41 years | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 2.35 years | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 2.41 years | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 2.2 years | -8.5% |
| 1995 | 2.18 years | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 2 years | -8.1% |
| 1997 | 1.96 years | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 1.74 years | -11.5% |
| 1999 | 1.53 years | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 1.5 years | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 1.46 years | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 1.44 years | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.7 years | +17.7% |
| 2004 | 1.2 years | -29.6% |
| 2005 | 1.09 years | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 1.41 years | +30.1% |
| 2007 | 1.59 years | +12.7% |
| 2008 | 2.16 years | +35.7% |
| 2009 | 2.21 years | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 2.72 years | +22.7% |
| 2011 | 3.2 years | +17.9% |
| 2012 | 3.39 years | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 3.54 years | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 3.94 years | +11.2% |
| 2015 | 4.28 years | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 4.34 years | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.66 years | +7.3% |
| 2018 | 4.84 years | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 5.09 years | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 5.22 years | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 5.13 years | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 4.95 years | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 4.74 years | -4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.1 years | 2.01 years | 2.25 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.27 years | 2.08 years | 2.64 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.61 years | 2.34 years | 3.27 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.27 years | 2.73 years | 3.58 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.13 years | 1.53 years | 2.5 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.58 years | 1.09 years | 2.21 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4 years | 2.72 years | 5.09 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.01 years | 4.74 years | 5.22 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 6.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 5.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0035 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy in Zambia?
- Sex gap in life expectancy in Zambia was 4.74 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.22 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.09 years in 2005.
- How does Zambia rank for sex gap in life expectancy?
- Zambia ranks 132nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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.