Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand
New Zealand: Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages was 3.32 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.32 years
Change on year
up 7.8%
World rank
202nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.35 years
in 1979
All-time low
3.06 years
in 1949
Years of data
76
1948–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand, 1948–2023
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 New Zealand stood at 3.32 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.8% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand peaked at 6.35 years in 1979 and was at its lowest, 3.06 years, in 1949.
New Zealand ranks 202nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 3.21 years | — |
| 1949 | 3.06 years | -4.7% |
| 1950 | 3.38 years | +10.4% |
| 1951 | 3.79 years | +12.0% |
| 1952 | 3.83 years | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 4.32 years | +12.6% |
| 1954 | 4.51 years | +4.5% |
| 1955 | 4.24 years | -6.0% |
| 1956 | 4.68 years | +10.3% |
| 1957 | 4.85 years | +3.8% |
| 1958 | 4.61 years | -4.9% |
| 1959 | 4.73 years | +2.5% |
| 1960 | 4.91 years | +3.8% |
| 1961 | 4.84 years | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 5.09 years | +5.2% |
| 1963 | 5.33 years | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 5.39 years | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 5.56 years | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 5.85 years | +5.3% |
| 1967 | 5.84 years | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.8 years | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 5.83 years | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 6.01 years | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 6.08 years | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 5.57 years | -8.4% |
| 1973 | 6.24 years | +12.0% |
| 1974 | 5.82 years | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 6.14 years | +5.5% |
| 1976 | 6.12 years | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 6.3 years | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 6.3 years | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.35 years | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 5.6 years | -11.8% |
| 1981 | 6.13 years | +9.3% |
| 1982 | 6.06 years | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 5.96 years | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 6.14 years | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 5.74 years | -6.5% |
| 1986 | 6.16 years | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 5.7 years | -7.5% |
| 1988 | 5.98 years | +4.9% |
| 1989 | 5.85 years | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 5.54 years | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 5.33 years | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 5.98 years | +12.2% |
| 1993 | 5.41 years | -9.5% |
| 1994 | 5.43 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 5.37 years | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 5.08 years | -5.3% |
| 1997 | 5.31 years | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 5.12 years | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 4.82 years | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 5.06 years | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 4.64 years | -8.3% |
| 2002 | 4.46 years | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 4.36 years | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 4.09 years | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 4.17 years | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 3.95 years | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 4.11 years | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 3.9 years | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 3.94 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 3.74 years | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 3.42 years | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 3.7 years | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 3.6 years | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 3.52 years | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 3.3 years | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 3.48 years | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 3.33 years | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 3.49 years | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 3.6 years | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 3.52 years | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 3.39 years | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 3.08 years | -9.2% |
| 2023 | 3.32 years | +7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.13 years | 3.06 years | 3.21 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.29 years | 3.38 years | 4.85 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.45 years | 4.84 years | 5.85 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.09 years | 5.57 years | 6.35 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.93 years | 5.6 years | 6.16 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.34 years | 4.82 years | 5.98 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.27 years | 3.9 years | 5.06 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.52 years | 3.3 years | 3.74 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.33 years | 3.08 years | 3.52 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 0.6838 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0314 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand?
- Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in New Zealand was 3.32 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.35 years in 1979.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy at different ages recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.06 years in 1949.
- How does New Zealand rank for sex gap in life expectancy at different ages?
- New Zealand ranks 202nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.