Difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa
South Africa: Difference in male and female life expectancy was 6.82 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
6.82
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
38th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.2
in 1991
All-time low
2
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 6.82 for difference in male and female life expectancy 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, difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa peaked at 7.2 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2, 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.
Difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2 | — |
| 1951 | 2.11 | +5.3% |
| 1952 | 2.24 | +6.3% |
| 1953 | 2.43 | +8.4% |
| 1954 | 2.66 | +9.5% |
| 1955 | 2.85 | +7.2% |
| 1956 | 3.07 | +7.6% |
| 1957 | 3.28 | +6.9% |
| 1958 | 3.38 | +3.1% |
| 1959 | 3.51 | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 3.59 | +2.3% |
| 1961 | 3.85 | +7.2% |
| 1962 | 3.79 | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 3.87 | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 3.88 | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 3.94 | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 4.01 | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 4.12 | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 4.23 | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 4.33 | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 4.46 | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 4.46 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4.33 | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 4.26 | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 4.24 | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 4.16 | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 4.32 | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 4.54 | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 4.6 | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 4.71 | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 4.93 | +4.8% |
| 1981 | 5.01 | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 5.14 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 5.28 | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 5.51 | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 5.87 | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 6.25 | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 6.32 | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 6.72 | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 6.89 | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 7.13 | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 7.2 | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 7.18 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 7.15 | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 6.95 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 6.66 | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 6.47 | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 6.25 | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 6.02 | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 5.8 | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 5.67 | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 4.9 | -13.6% |
| 2002 | 4.36 | -10.8% |
| 2003 | 4.07 | -6.7% |
| 2004 | 3.62 | -11.0% |
| 2005 | 3.2 | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 3.41 | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 3.98 | +16.7% |
| 2008 | 4.47 | +12.5% |
| 2009 | 4.69 | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 4.91 | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 5.34 | +8.8% |
| 2012 | 5.57 | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 5.86 | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 6.09 | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 6.07 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.4 | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 6.48 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 6.37 | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 6.35 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.58 | -12.3% |
| 2021 | 5.39 | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 7.01 | +30.0% |
| 2023 | 6.82 | -2.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 6.82 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.66, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 6.82 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.08, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +30.0% | 5.39 | 7.01 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.75 | 2 | 3.51 | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.96 | 3.59 | 4.33 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.41 | 4.16 | 4.71 | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.79 | 4.93 | 6.89 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.68 | 5.8 | 7.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.24 | 3.2 | 5.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.94 | 4.91 | 6.48 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2 | 5.39 | 7.01 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 35 Saint Martin (French Part) 6.84 compare
- 36 Kyrgyzstan 6.82 compare
- 37 Tuvalu 6.82 compare
- 39 Saint Lucia 6.79 compare
- 40 Bermuda 6.73 compare
- 41 Montenegro 6.52 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % 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 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % 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 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa?
- Difference in male and female life expectancy in South Africa was 6.82 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.2 in 1991.
- What is the lowest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for difference in male and female life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 38th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is difference in male and female life expectancy 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 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).