Sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa
South Africa: Sex ratio in life expectancy was 1.11 in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
1.11
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
23rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.13
in 1991
All-time low
1.05
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.11 for sex ratio in life expectancy in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa peaked at 1.13 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.05, in 1950.
South Africa ranks 23rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.05 | — |
| 1951 | 1.05 | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 1.05 | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 1.05 | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 1.06 | +0.4% |
| 1955 | 1.06 | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 1.07 | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 1.07 | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 1.07 | +0.1% |
| 1959 | 1.07 | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 1.07 | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 1.08 | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 1.08 | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 1.08 | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 1.08 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.08 | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 1.08 | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 1.08 | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 1.08 | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 1.08 | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 1.09 | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 1.09 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 1.08 | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 1.08 | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 1.08 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.08 | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 1.08 | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 1.09 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 1.09 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.09 | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 1.09 | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 1.09 | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 1.09 | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 1.1 | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 1.1 | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 1.11 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 1.11 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 1.11 | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 1.12 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 1.12 | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 1.12 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 1.13 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 1.13 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.13 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.12 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 1.12 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.12 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.11 | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 1.11 | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.11 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.1 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 1.09 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.08 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 1.08 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.07 | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 1.06 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 1.07 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.08 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 1.09 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 1.09 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.09 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 1.09 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.1 | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.1 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.1 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.1 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.11 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.11 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.11 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.1 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.09 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 1.09 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.12 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 1.11 | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.06 | 1.05 | 1.07 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.08 | 1.07 | 1.08 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.09 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1 | 1.09 | 1.12 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.12 | 1.11 | 1.13 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.1 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1 | 1.09 | 1.11 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 | 1.09 | 1.12 | 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 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0371 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 4.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0295 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa?
- Sex ratio in life expectancy in South Africa was 1.11 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 ratio in life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.13 in 1991.
- What is the lowest sex ratio in life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.05 in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for sex ratio in life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 23rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sex ratio in life expectancy rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 ratio in 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).
About this data
Ratio of period life expectancy (females/males) at a given age.