Life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Life expectancy at birth, female was 64.96 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
64.96 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
40th
of 45 groups
All-time high
64.96 years
in 2024
All-time low
43.35 years
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 64.96 years. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 64.96 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.35 years, in 1960.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 40th out of 45 groups 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 43.35 years | — |
| 1961 | 43.7 years | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 44.05 years | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 44.37 years | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 44.74 years | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 45.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 45.08 years | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 45.53 years | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 46 years | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 46.27 years | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 46.62 years | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 46.95 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 47.06 years | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 47.6 years | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 47.84 years | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 48.21 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 48.84 years | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 49.3 years | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 49.67 years | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 50.12 years | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 50.52 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 50.83 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 51.15 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 50.36 years | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 50.55 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 50.82 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 51.2 years | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 51.87 years | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 51.78 years | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 52.07 years | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 51.97 years | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 51.72 years | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 51.63 years | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 51.95 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 51.83 years | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 52.15 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 52.09 years | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 52.21 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 52.18 years | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 52.62 years | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 52.99 years | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 53.26 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 53.62 years | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 54.06 years | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 54.59 years | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 55.17 years | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 55.88 years | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 56.61 years | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 57.31 years | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 57.86 years | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 58.63 years | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 59.03 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 59.85 years | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 60.42 years | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 60.78 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 61.21 years | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 61.67 years | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 62.07 years | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 62.71 years | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 63.12 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 63.33 years | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 62.77 years | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 63.99 years | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 64.75 years | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 64.96 years | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.81 years | 43.35 years | 46.27 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.22 years | 46.62 years | 50.12 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.11 years | 50.36 years | 52.07 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.03 years | 51.63 years | 52.62 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.14 years | 52.99 years | 57.86 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.95 years | 58.63 years | 63.12 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.96 years | 62.77 years | 64.96 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 37 United States Virgin Islands 84.1 years compare
- 38 Saint Martin (French part) 83.96 years compare
- 39 Cyprus 83.8 years compare
- 40 Estonia 83.7 years compare
- 40 New Zealand 83.7 years compare
- 42 Costa Rica 83.58 years compare
- 43 Qatar 83.48 years compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.0142 units per person (2025)
- Population, male, annual growth rate 2.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Life expectancy at birth, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 64.96 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 64.96 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.35 years in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for life expectancy at birth, female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 40th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.
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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.