Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in European Union
European Union: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) was 81.56 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth, total in European Union, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in European Union is 81.56 years, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in European Union peaked at 81.56 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 69.07 years, in 1960.
That places European Union 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in European Union, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 69.07 years | — |
| 1961 | 69.44 years | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 69.29 years | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 69.65 years | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 70.16 years | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 70.28 years | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 70.59 years | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 70.6 years | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 70.6 years | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 70.42 years | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 70.82 years | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 70.96 years | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 71.35 years | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 71.47 years | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 71.78 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 71.8 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 72.07 years | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 72.4 years | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 72.49 years | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 72.77 years | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 72.79 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 73.13 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 73.41 years | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 73.45 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 73.74 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 73.82 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 74.08 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 74.32 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 74.53 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 74.66 years | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 74.7 years | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 74.82 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 75.13 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 75.26 years | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 75.53 years | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 75.67 years | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 75.93 years | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 76.24 years | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 76.51 years | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 76.75 years | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 77.08 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 77.43 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 77.53 years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 77.59 years | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 78.12 years | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 78.28 years | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 78.67 years | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 78.91 years | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 79.13 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 79.36 years | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 79.64 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 80.14 years | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 80.17 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 80.47 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 80.88 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 80.57 years | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 80.95 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 80.93 years | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 81.03 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 81.32 years | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 80.44 years | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 80.31 years | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 80.71 years | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 81.42 years | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 81.56 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 70.01 years | 69.07 years | 70.6 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 71.79 years | 70.82 years | 72.77 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.79 years | 72.79 years | 74.66 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.65 years | 74.7 years | 76.75 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.21 years | 77.08 years | 79.36 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.61 years | 79.64 years | 81.32 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.89 years | 80.31 years | 81.56 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near European Union
- 1 Monaco 86.5 years compare
- 2 San Marino 85.82 years compare
- 3 Hong Kong 85.39 years compare
- 4 Kuwait 84.58 years compare
- 5 Switzerland 84.41 years compare
More health data for European Union
- Population ages 30-34, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate -1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0326 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate -0.1087 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0318 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate -0.3683 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, male, per capita 0.0304 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 25-29, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in European Union?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in European Union was 81.56 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 81.56 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.07 years in 1960.
- How does European Union rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- European Union ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (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.