Difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Difference in male and female life expectancy was 5.54 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 5.54 for difference in male and female life expectancy in 2023.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 42.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia peaked at 6.9 in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0.6529, in 1992.
Ethiopia ranks 81st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.15 | — |
| 1951 | 6.09 | -1.0% |
| 1952 | 6.13 | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 6.1 | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 6.12 | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 6.23 | +1.8% |
| 1956 | 6.23 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 5.9 | -5.3% |
| 1958 | 5.95 | +1.0% |
| 1959 | 6.37 | +7.0% |
| 1960 | 6.44 | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 6.24 | -3.1% |
| 1962 | 6.08 | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 6.1 | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 6.11 | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 6.24 | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 6.09 | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 6.23 | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 6.24 | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 6.2 | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 6.22 | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 6.08 | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 6 | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 6.06 | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 5.96 | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 6.13 | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 6.86 | +12.0% |
| 1977 | 6.9 | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 6.79 | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 6.46 | -4.8% |
| 1980 | 6.37 | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 6.39 | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 6.3 | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 5.2 | -17.4% |
| 1984 | 4.68 | -10.2% |
| 1985 | 4 | -14.5% |
| 1986 | 3.31 | -17.1% |
| 1987 | 2.5 | -24.7% |
| 1988 | 2.28 | -8.5% |
| 1989 | 2.51 | +9.7% |
| 1990 | 2.83 | +13.0% |
| 1991 | 1.36 | -51.9% |
| 1992 | 0.6529 | -52.0% |
| 1993 | 0.6849 | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 0.8373 | +22.3% |
| 1995 | 1.02 | +22.1% |
| 1996 | 0.8991 | -12.0% |
| 1997 | 0.9302 | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 1.09 | +17.4% |
| 1999 | 2.31 | +112.0% |
| 2000 | 0.7554 | -67.4% |
| 2001 | 0.703 | -6.9% |
| 2002 | 1.1 | +56.2% |
| 2003 | 1.16 | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 1.62 | +40.0% |
| 2005 | 1.88 | +16.2% |
| 2006 | 2.19 | +16.5% |
| 2007 | 2.72 | +24.1% |
| 2008 | 3.1 | +13.6% |
| 2009 | 3.35 | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 3.48 | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 3.45 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 3.61 | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 3.89 | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 4.11 | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 4.35 | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 4.57 | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 4.73 | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 4.85 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 4.99 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 5.51 | +10.3% |
| 2021 | 5.51 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5.55 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 5.54 | -0.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 5.54 is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.69, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 5.54 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.08, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +112.0% | 1.09 | 2.31 |
| 2000 | -67.4% | 2.31 | 0.7554 |
| 2002 | +56.2% | 0.703 | 1.1 |
| 1991 | -51.9% | 2.83 | 1.36 |
| 1992 | -52.0% | 1.36 | 0.6529 |
| 2004 | +40.0% | 1.16 | 1.62 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.13 | 5.9 | 6.37 | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.2 | 6.08 | 6.44 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.35 | 5.96 | 6.9 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.35 | 2.28 | 6.39 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.26 | 0.6529 | 2.83 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.86 | 0.703 | 3.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2 | 3.45 | 4.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.53 | 5.51 | 5.55 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 78 France 5.59 compare
- 79 Eswatini 5.59 compare
- 80 American Samoa 5.57 compare
- 82 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 5.51 compare
- 83 Finland 5.48 compare
- 84 French Guiana 5.45 compare
More health data for Ethiopia
- 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 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 19,997 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 148 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0709 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0742 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia?
- Difference in male and female life expectancy in Ethiopia was 5.54 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.9 in 1977.
- What is the lowest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6529 in 1992.
- How does Ethiopia rank for difference in male and female life expectancy?
- Ethiopia ranks 81st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is difference in male and female life expectancy rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).