Life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa
South Africa: Life expectancy at birth, female was 69.79 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
69.79 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
177th
of 217 countries
All-time high
69.79 years
in 2024
All-time low
54.58 years
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa is 69.79 years, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa peaked at 69.79 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 54.58 years, in 1960.
That places South Africa 177th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 54.58 years | — |
| 1961 | 55.22 years | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 55.68 years | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 56.05 years | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 56.36 years | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 56.6 years | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 56.92 years | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 57.2 years | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 57.48 years | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 57.77 years | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 58.08 years | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 58.42 years | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 58.73 years | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 59.05 years | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 59.44 years | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 59.89 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 60.41 years | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 61.02 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 61.56 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 62.12 years | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 62.73 years | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 63.26 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 63.83 years | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 64.36 years | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 64.92 years | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 65.47 years | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 65.89 years | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 66.21 years | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 66.63 years | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 66.83 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 66.89 years | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 66.97 years | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 66.81 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 66.5 years | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 65.99 years | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 65.16 years | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 64.46 years | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 63.66 years | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 62.9 years | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 62.05 years | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 61.08 years | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 59.49 years | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 57.7 years | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 56.27 years | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 55.75 years | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 55.47 years | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 55.93 years | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 56.89 years | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 58.15 years | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 59.69 years | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 61.24 years | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 63.14 years | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 64.43 years | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 65.24 years | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 66.18 years | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 67.03 years | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 67.92 years | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 68.58 years | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 68.91 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 69.22 years | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 67.95 years | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 64.77 years | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 69.04 years | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 69.6 years | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 69.79 years | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 56.39 years | 54.58 years | 57.77 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 59.87 years | 58.08 years | 62.12 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.01 years | 62.73 years | 66.83 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.14 years | 62.05 years | 66.97 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.64 years | 55.47 years | 61.08 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.19 years | 61.24 years | 69.22 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.23 years | 64.77 years | 69.79 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 174 Rwanda 70.14 years compare
- 175 Tanzania, United Republic of 70 years compare
- 176 Sudan 69.83 years compare
- 178 Timor-Leste 69.67 years compare
- 179 Fiji 69.54 years compare
- 180 Marshall Islands 69.48 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 75-79, female, annual growth rate 7.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0067 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 8.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0039 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa?
- Life expectancy at birth, female in South Africa was 69.79 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 69.79 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.58 years in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for life expectancy at birth, female?
- South Africa ranks 177th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, female (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.