What is life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa was 60.68 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.

What is the highest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The highest recorded value was 60.68 years in 2024.

What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 39.65 years in 1960.

How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for life expectancy at birth, male?

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.

Is life expectancy at birth, male rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. 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, male (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa

Name: Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa
Creator: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

Sub-Saharan Africa: Life expectancy at birth, male was 60.68 years in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)

60.68 years

Change on year

up 0.3%

Rank

43rd

of 47 groups

All-time high

60.68 years

in 2024

All-time low

39.65 years

in 1960

Years of data

1960–2024

Life expectancy at birth, male 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, male in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 60.68 years. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 60.68 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.65 years, in 1960.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.

Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960 to 2024.
Year	years	Change
1960	39.65 years	—
1961	39.9 years	+0.6%
1962	40.52 years	+1.6%
1963	40.76 years	+0.6%
1964	41.07 years	+0.7%
1965	41.31 years	+0.6%
1966	41.47 years	+0.4%
1967	41.68 years	+0.5%
1968	42.18 years	+1.2%
1969	42.46 years	+0.7%
1970	43.01 years	+1.3%
1971	43.32 years	+0.7%
1972	43.39 years	+0.2%
1973	43.95 years	+1.3%
1974	44.19 years	+0.5%
1975	44.53 years	+0.8%
1976	45.25 years	+1.6%
1977	45.65 years	+0.9%
1978	45.86 years	+0.5%
1979	46.3 years	+1.0%
1980	46.67 years	+0.8%
1981	46.91 years	+0.5%
1982	47.16 years	+0.5%
1983	46.5 years	-1.4%
1984	46.57 years	+0.1%
1985	46.89 years	+0.7%
1986	47.32 years	+0.9%
1987	48 years	+1.4%
1988	48.04 years	+0.1%
1989	48.31 years	+0.6%
1990	48.19 years	-0.2%
1991	48.21 years	+0.0%
1992	48.23 years	+0.0%
1993	48.48 years	+0.5%
1994	48.49 years	+0.0%
1995	48.88 years	+0.8%
1996	48.85 years	-0.1%
1997	49.05 years	+0.4%
1998	48.98 years	-0.1%
1999	49.43 years	+0.9%
2000	50.3 years	+1.8%
2001	50.7 years	+0.8%
2002	51.09 years	+0.8%
2003	51.59 years	+1.0%
2004	52.1 years	+1.0%
2005	52.6 years	+1.0%
2006	53.28 years	+1.3%
2007	53.9 years	+1.2%
2008	54.46 years	+1.0%
2009	54.88 years	+0.8%
2010	55.58 years	+1.3%
2011	55.91 years	+0.6%
2012	56.61 years	+1.2%
2013	57.02 years	+0.7%
2014	57.21 years	+0.3%
2015	57.6 years	+0.7%
2016	57.97 years	+0.6%
2017	58.27 years	+0.5%
2018	58.85 years	+1.0%
2019	59.17 years	+0.6%
2020	59.07 years	-0.2%
2021	58.69 years	-0.6%
2022	59.78 years	+1.9%
2023	60.5 years	+1.2%
2024	60.68 years	+0.3%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	41.1 years	39.65 years	42.46 years	10
1970s	44.55 years	43.01 years	46.3 years	10
1980s	47.24 years	46.5 years	48.31 years	10
1990s	48.68 years	48.19 years	49.43 years	10
2000s	52.49 years	50.3 years	54.88 years	10
2010s	57.42 years	55.58 years	59.17 years	10
2020s	59.74 years	58.69 years	60.68 years	5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

40 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 79.54 years compare
41 Chile 79.45 years compare
42 Greece 79.4 years compare
43 Channel Islands 79.1 years compare
44 Bermuda 79.06 years compare
45 Isle of Man 79.04 years compare
46 Oman 78.72 years compare

See the full ranking of 266 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa

Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 3.04 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (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, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa?: Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa was 60.68 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
What is the highest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?: The highest recorded value was 60.68 years in 2024.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 39.65 years in 1960.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for life expectancy at birth, male?: Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is life expectancy at birth, male rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. 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, male (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy at birth, male in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-male-years/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Life expectancy at birth, male (years)
Unit: years
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 266 places, 17,256 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

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.