ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa

South Africa: ex - expectation of life at age x was 61.5 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
61.5
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
167th
of 184 countries
All-time high
65.84
in 2019
All-time low
52.03
in 2005
Years of data
22
2000–2021

ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa, 2000–2021

02040602000201020212000: 57.12001: 55.92002: 54.32003: 52.92004: 52.22005: 522006: 52.12007: 52.92008: 53.92009: 55.32010: 57.12011: 59.12012: 60.82013: 62.12014: 62.82015: 63.32016: 63.92017: 64.72018: 65.32019: 65.82020: 64.32021: 61.5

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 61.5 for ex - expectation of life at age x in 2021.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa peaked at 65.84 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 52.03, in 2005.

That places South Africa 167th out of 184 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa, 2000 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2000 57.12
2001 55.87 -2.2%
2002 54.32 -2.8%
2003 52.93 -2.6%
2004 52.25 -1.3%
2005 52.03 -0.4%
2006 52.11 +0.1%
2007 52.91 +1.5%
2008 53.91 +1.9%
2009 55.27 +2.5%
2010 57.1 +3.3%
2011 59.1 +3.5%
2012 60.82 +2.9%
2013 62.09 +2.1%
2014 62.78 +1.1%
2015 63.26 +0.8%
2016 63.88 +1.0%
2017 64.75 +1.4%
2018 65.32 +0.9%
2019 65.84 +0.8%
2020 64.3 -2.3%
2021 61.5 -4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 53.87 52.03 57.12 10
2010s 62.49 57.1 65.84 10
2020s 62.9 61.5 64.3 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 164 Mali 61.67 compare
  2. 165 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 61.63 compare
  3. 166 Equatorial Guinea 61.61 compare
  4. 168 Guinea 61.26 compare
  5. 169 Botswana 61.23 compare
  6. 170 Sierra Leone 61.02 compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa?
Ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa was 61.5 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest ex - expectation of life at age x recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 65.84 in 2019.
What is the lowest ex - expectation of life at age x recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 52.03 in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for ex - expectation of life at age x?
South Africa ranks 167th out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
Is ex - expectation of life at age x rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of ex - expectation of life at age x. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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ex - expectation of life at age x in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/ex-expectation-of-life-at-age-x/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
ex - expectation of life at age x
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
197 places, 4,334 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed