Difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia
Australia: Difference in male and female life expectancy was 3.63 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.63
Change on year
down 13.9%
World rank
190th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.97
in 1980
All-time low
2.66
in 1928
Years of data
103
1921–2023
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia, 1921–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 3.63 for difference in male and female life expectancy in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.9% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia peaked at 6.97 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2.66, in 1928.
Australia ranks 190th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 103 years of available data.
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 3.06 | — |
| 1922 | 3.07 | +0.3% |
| 1923 | 2.73 | -11.1% |
| 1924 | 2.98 | +9.2% |
| 1925 | 3.26 | +9.4% |
| 1926 | 2.97 | -8.9% |
| 1927 | 2.88 | -3.0% |
| 1928 | 2.66 | -7.6% |
| 1929 | 3.3 | +24.1% |
| 1930 | 2.98 | -9.7% |
| 1931 | 2.83 | -5.0% |
| 1932 | 2.93 | +3.5% |
| 1933 | 3.15 | +7.5% |
| 1934 | 2.83 | -10.2% |
| 1935 | 3.26 | +15.2% |
| 1936 | 3.17 | -2.8% |
| 1937 | 3.54 | +11.7% |
| 1938 | 3.27 | -7.6% |
| 1939 | 3.65 | +11.6% |
| 1940 | 4 | +9.6% |
| 1941 | 3.39 | -15.2% |
| 1942 | 3.24 | -4.4% |
| 1943 | 2.95 | -9.0% |
| 1944 | 2.81 | -4.7% |
| 1945 | 3.01 | +7.1% |
| 1946 | 3.81 | +26.6% |
| 1947 | 4.08 | +7.1% |
| 1948 | 4.26 | +4.4% |
| 1949 | 4.66 | +9.4% |
| 1950 | 4.69 | +0.6% |
| 1951 | 5.11 | +9.0% |
| 1952 | 5.18 | +1.4% |
| 1953 | 5.08 | -1.9% |
| 1954 | 5.15 | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 5.52 | +7.3% |
| 1956 | 5.47 | -0.9% |
| 1957 | 5.63 | +3.0% |
| 1958 | 5.74 | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 5.92 | +3.1% |
| 1960 | 5.82 | -1.8% |
| 1961 | 6.14 | +5.5% |
| 1962 | 6.13 | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 6.11 | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 6.22 | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 6.27 | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 6.15 | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 6.41 | +4.2% |
| 1968 | 6.52 | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 6.61 | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 6.39 | -3.2% |
| 1971 | 6.36 | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 6.52 | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 6.73 | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 6.69 | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 6.8 | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 6.78 | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 6.73 | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 6.81 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 6.93 | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 6.97 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 6.9 | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 6.74 | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 6.52 | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 6.35 | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 6.2 | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 6.2 | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 6.22 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 6.26 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 6.09 | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 6.03 | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 5.87 | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 5.84 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 5.82 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 5.81 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 5.66 | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 5.7 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 5.44 | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 5.58 | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 5.46 | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 5.25 | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 5.08 | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 4.91 | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 4.88 | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 4.8 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 4.74 | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 4.58 | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 4.55 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 4.46 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 4.46 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4.26 | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 4.29 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 3.99 | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 4.11 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 3.97 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 4 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 4.03 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 4.01 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 4.01 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 4 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 4.02 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 3.77 | -6.2% |
| 2022 | 4.21 | +11.8% |
| 2023 | 3.63 | -13.9% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 3.63 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.91, 74% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Australia's 3.63 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.7, 77% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | +26.6% | 3.01 | 3.81 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 2.99 | 2.66 | 3.3 | 9 |
| 1930s | 3.16 | 2.83 | 3.65 | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.62 | 2.81 | 4.66 | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.35 | 4.69 | 5.92 | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.24 | 5.82 | 6.61 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.67 | 6.36 | 6.93 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.45 | 6.09 | 6.97 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.72 | 5.44 | 6.03 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.77 | 4.46 | 5.25 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.07 | 3.97 | 4.29 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.91 | 3.63 | 4.21 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 215 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2021)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0295 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia?
- Difference in male and female life expectancy in Australia was 3.63 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.97 in 1980.
- What is the lowest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.66 in 1928.
- How does Australia rank for difference in male and female life expectancy?
- Australia ranks 190th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is difference in male and female life expectancy rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Difference in male and female life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 103 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).