Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in India
India: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) was 72.23 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
72.23 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
138th
of 218 countries
All-time high
72.23 years
in 2024
All-time low
45.56 years
in 1965
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, total in India, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in India is 72.23 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 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in India peaked at 72.23 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45.56 years, in 1965.
That places India 138th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 India, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 45.61 years | — |
| 1961 | 45.82 years | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 46.13 years | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 46.46 years | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 46.74 years | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 45.56 years | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 45.88 years | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 46.18 years | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 47.92 years | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 48.26 years | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 48.59 years | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 48.9 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 49.21 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 49.64 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 50.26 years | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 50.76 years | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 51.3 years | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 51.82 years | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 52.42 years | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 53.01 years | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 53.59 years | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 54.17 years | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 54.73 years | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 55.28 years | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 55.81 years | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 56.32 years | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 56.82 years | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 57.29 years | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 57.74 years | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 58.2 years | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 58.62 years | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 59.03 years | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 59.45 years | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 59.82 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 60.24 years | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 60.63 years | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 61.03 years | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 61.44 years | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 61.85 years | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 62.28 years | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 62.75 years | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 63.16 years | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 63.65 years | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 64.09 years | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 64.48 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 64.94 years | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 65.37 years | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 65.8 years | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 66.25 years | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 66.7 years | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 67.16 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.62 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 68.08 years | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 68.5 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 68.93 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 69.33 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 69.71 years | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 70.07 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 70.42 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 70.75 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 70.16 years | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 67.28 years | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 71.7 years | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 72 years | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 72.23 years | +0.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 72.23 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.9 years, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 72.23 years is below the median for South Asia, which is 74.1 years, 97% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.46 years | 45.56 years | 48.26 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.59 years | 48.59 years | 53.01 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 56 years | 53.59 years | 58.2 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.44 years | 58.62 years | 62.28 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.72 years | 62.75 years | 66.7 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.06 years | 67.16 years | 70.75 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.67 years | 67.28 years | 72.23 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 135 Mongolia 72.4 years compare
- 136 El Salvador 72.3 years compare
- 137 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.28 years compare
- 139 Tajikistan 71.93 years compare
- 140 Samoa 71.83 years compare
- 141 Egypt 71.81 years compare
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % 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 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % 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 at birth, total in India?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in India was 72.23 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 72.23 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.56 years in 1965.
- How does India rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- India ranks 138th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.