Food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa
South Africa: Food supply vs. life expectancy was 66.14 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
66.14 years
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
201st
of 236 countries
All-time high
66.14 years
in 2023
All-time low
43.11 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 66.14 years for food supply vs. life expectancy in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa peaked at 66.14 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 43.11 years, in 1950.
That places South Africa 201st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 43.11 years | — |
| 1951 | 44.06 years | +2.2% |
| 1952 | 45.05 years | +2.2% |
| 1953 | 46.05 years | +2.2% |
| 1954 | 47.12 years | +2.3% |
| 1955 | 48.17 years | +2.2% |
| 1956 | 49.21 years | +2.2% |
| 1957 | 50.2 years | +2.0% |
| 1958 | 51.15 years | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 51.88 years | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 52.58 years | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 53.07 years | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 53.57 years | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 53.9 years | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 54.22 years | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 54.43 years | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 54.73 years | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 54.95 years | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 55.19 years | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 55.44 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 55.68 years | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 56.02 years | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 56.38 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 56.72 years | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 57.11 years | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 57.59 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 58 years | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 58.48 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 58.99 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 59.47 years | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 59.96 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 60.45 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 60.94 years | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 61.39 years | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 61.84 years | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 62.2 years | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 62.42 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 62.69 years | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 62.9 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 63.02 years | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 62.94 years | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 62.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 62.84 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 62.62 years | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 62.07 years | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 61.6 years | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 61.08 years | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 60.54 years | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 59.91 years | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 59.19 years | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 58.37 years | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 57.16 years | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 55.58 years | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 54.24 years | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 53.96 years | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 53.91 years | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 54.22 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 54.95 years | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 55.98 years | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 57.41 years | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 58.89 years | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 60.6 years | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 61.74 years | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 62.39 years | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 63.18 years | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 64.05 years | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 64.75 years | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 65.42 years | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 65.73 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 66.07 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 65.15 years | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 62.01 years | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 65.45 years | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 66.14 years | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 47.6 years | 43.11 years | 51.88 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 54.21 years | 52.58 years | 55.44 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.44 years | 55.68 years | 59.47 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 61.78 years | 59.96 years | 63.02 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 61.58 years | 59.19 years | 62.98 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.58 years | 53.91 years | 58.37 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.28 years | 58.89 years | 66.07 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.69 years | 62.01 years | 66.14 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.4769 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1293 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa?
- Food supply vs. life expectancy in South Africa was 66.14 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest food supply vs. life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 66.14 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest food supply vs. life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.11 years in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for food supply vs. life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 201st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food supply vs. life expectancy rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Food supply vs. life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.