Life expectancy in France
France: Life expectancy was 82.4 years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
82.4 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
12th
of 49 countries
All-time high
83 years
in 2019
All-time low
70.3 years
in 1960
Years of data
62
1960–2021
Life expectancy in France, 1960–2021
Source: OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in France is 82.4 years, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in France peaked at 83 years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 70.3 years, in 1960.
That places France 12th out of 49 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Life expectancy in France, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 70.3 years | — |
| 1961 | 71 years | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 70.5 years | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 70.5 years | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 71.4 years | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 71.3 years | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 71.5 years | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 71.5 years | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 71.5 years | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 71.3 years | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 72.2 years | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 72.1 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 72.4 years | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 72.5 years | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 72.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 73 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 73.2 years | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 73.8 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 73.9 years | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 74.2 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 74.3 years | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 74.5 years | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 74.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 74.8 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 75.3 years | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 75.4 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 75.7 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 76.3 years | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 76.6 years | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 76.7 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 77 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 77.2 years | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 77.5 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 77.5 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 78 years | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 78.1 years | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 78.2 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 78.6 years | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 78.8 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 78.9 years | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 79.2 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 79.3 years | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 79.4 years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 79.3 years | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 80.4 years | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 80.4 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 81 years | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 81.3 years | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 81.4 years | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 81.6 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 81.9 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 82.3 years | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 82.1 years | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 82.4 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 82.9 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.4 years | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 82.7 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 82.7 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 82.8 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 83 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 82.3 years | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 82.4 years | +0.1% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 82.4 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.4 years, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- France's 82.4 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 81 years, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 71.08 years | 70.3 years | 71.5 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 73.01 years | 72.1 years | 74.2 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.44 years | 74.3 years | 76.7 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.98 years | 77 years | 78.9 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.33 years | 79.2 years | 81.6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.52 years | 81.9 years | 83 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.35 years | 82.3 years | 82.4 years | 2 |
Countries ranked near France
More health data for France
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0689 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,016 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 603 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7875 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0244 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8291 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in France?
- Life expectancy in France was 82.4 years in 2021, according to OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 83 years in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.3 years in 1960.
- How does France rank for life expectancy?
- France ranks 12th out of 49 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.