Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages was 2.67 years in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2.67 years
Change on year
down 9.0%
World rank
220th
of 236 countries
All-time high
12.83 years
in 1985
All-time low
1.14 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan stood at 2.67 years.
That represents a change of down 9.0% on the previous year and down 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan peaked at 12.83 years in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.14 years, in 1950.
Afghanistan ranks 220th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 at different ages in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.14 years | — |
| 1951 | 1.18 years | +3.1% |
| 1952 | 1.22 years | +3.4% |
| 1953 | 1.26 years | +3.4% |
| 1954 | 1.24 years | -1.6% |
| 1955 | 1.35 years | +8.9% |
| 1956 | 1.37 years | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 1.37 years | -0.3% |
| 1958 | 1.36 years | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 1.37 years | +0.6% |
| 1960 | 1.37 years | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 1.38 years | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 1.38 years | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 1.4 years | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 1.42 years | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 1.45 years | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 1.48 years | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 1.51 years | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 1.49 years | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 1.51 years | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 1.55 years | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 1.59 years | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 1.62 years | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 1.62 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 1.62 years | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 1.61 years | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 1.59 years | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 1.56 years | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 3.21 years | +105.6% |
| 1979 | 4.93 years | +53.7% |
| 1980 | 5.11 years | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 5.55 years | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 8.74 years | +57.5% |
| 1983 | 8.97 years | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 12.81 years | +42.7% |
| 1985 | 12.83 years | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 9.15 years | -28.6% |
| 1987 | 9.35 years | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 6.52 years | -30.2% |
| 1989 | 6.05 years | -7.3% |
| 1990 | 6.07 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 6.43 years | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 6.94 years | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 2.67 years | -61.5% |
| 1994 | 4.7 years | +75.7% |
| 1995 | 3.32 years | -29.4% |
| 1996 | 3.26 years | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.05 years | -6.5% |
| 1998 | 4.01 years | +31.5% |
| 1999 | 2.81 years | -29.7% |
| 2000 | 3.06 years | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 3.11 years | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2.33 years | -25.2% |
| 2003 | 2.47 years | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 2.37 years | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 2.53 years | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 3.01 years | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 3.59 years | +19.1% |
| 2008 | 3.3 years | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 2.91 years | -11.7% |
| 2010 | 2.97 years | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 2.99 years | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 3 years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 3.02 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 3.26 years | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 3.58 years | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 3.69 years | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 6.09 years | +64.9% |
| 2018 | 6.67 years | +9.5% |
| 2019 | 6.1 years | -8.7% |
| 2020 | 6.08 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 6.98 years | +14.7% |
| 2022 | 2.93 years | -58.0% |
| 2023 | 2.67 years | -9.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.29 years | 1.14 years | 1.37 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.44 years | 1.37 years | 1.51 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.09 years | 1.55 years | 4.93 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.51 years | 5.11 years | 12.83 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.33 years | 2.67 years | 6.94 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.87 years | 2.33 years | 3.59 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.14 years | 2.97 years | 6.67 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.66 years | 2.67 years | 6.98 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 217 Madagascar 2.81 years compare
- 218 Gambia 2.78 years compare
- 219 Nepal 2.71 years compare
- 221 Wallis and Futuna 2.65 years compare
- 222 Sierra Leone 2.62 years compare
- 223 Mali 2.59 years compare
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 812.4 (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 2.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2081 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2175 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan?
- Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in Afghanistan was 2.67 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 at different ages recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 12.83 years in 1985.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy at different ages recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.14 years in 1950.
- How does Afghanistan rank for sex gap in life expectancy at different ages?
- Afghanistan ranks 220th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 at different ages. 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.