Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa
South Africa: Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages was 6.82 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
6.82 years
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
38th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.2 years
in 1991
All-time low
2 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 6.82 years for sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa peaked at 7.2 years in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2 years, in 1950.
That places South Africa 38th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2 years | — |
| 1951 | 2.11 years | +5.3% |
| 1952 | 2.24 years | +6.3% |
| 1953 | 2.43 years | +8.4% |
| 1954 | 2.66 years | +9.5% |
| 1955 | 2.85 years | +7.2% |
| 1956 | 3.07 years | +7.6% |
| 1957 | 3.28 years | +6.9% |
| 1958 | 3.38 years | +3.1% |
| 1959 | 3.51 years | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 3.59 years | +2.3% |
| 1961 | 3.85 years | +7.2% |
| 1962 | 3.79 years | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 3.87 years | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 3.88 years | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 3.94 years | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 4.01 years | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 4.12 years | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 4.23 years | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 4.33 years | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 4.46 years | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 4.46 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4.33 years | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 4.26 years | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 4.24 years | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 4.16 years | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 4.32 years | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 4.54 years | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 4.6 years | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 4.71 years | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 4.93 years | +4.8% |
| 1981 | 5.01 years | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 5.14 years | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 5.28 years | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 5.51 years | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 5.87 years | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 6.25 years | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 6.32 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 6.72 years | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 6.89 years | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 7.13 years | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 7.2 years | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 7.18 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 7.15 years | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 6.95 years | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 6.66 years | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 6.47 years | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 6.25 years | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 6.02 years | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 5.8 years | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 5.67 years | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 4.9 years | -13.6% |
| 2002 | 4.36 years | -10.8% |
| 2003 | 4.07 years | -6.7% |
| 2004 | 3.62 years | -11.0% |
| 2005 | 3.2 years | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 3.41 years | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 3.98 years | +16.7% |
| 2008 | 4.47 years | +12.5% |
| 2009 | 4.69 years | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 4.91 years | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 5.34 years | +8.8% |
| 2012 | 5.57 years | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5.86 years | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 6.09 years | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 6.07 years | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.4 years | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 6.48 years | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 6.37 years | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 6.35 years | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.58 years | -12.3% |
| 2021 | 5.39 years | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 7.01 years | +30.0% |
| 2023 | 6.82 years | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.75 years | 2 years | 3.51 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.96 years | 3.59 years | 4.33 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.41 years | 4.16 years | 4.71 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.79 years | 4.93 years | 6.89 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.68 years | 5.8 years | 7.2 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.24 years | 3.2 years | 5.67 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.94 years | 4.91 years | 6.48 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2 years | 5.39 years | 7.01 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 35 Saint Martin (French part) 6.84 years compare
- 36 Kyrgyzstan 6.82 years compare
- 37 Tuvalu 6.82 years compare
- 39 Saint Lucia 6.79 years compare
- 40 Bermuda 6.73 years compare
- 41 Montenegro 6.52 years compare
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.84 % 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 0.0116 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.91 % 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 0.0115 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa?
- Sex gap in life expectancy at different ages in South Africa was 6.82 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.2 years in 1991.
- What is the lowest sex gap in life expectancy at different ages recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 years in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for sex gap in life expectancy at different ages?
- South Africa ranks 38th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex gap in life expectancy at different ages rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.