What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?

The highest recorded value was 62.8 years in 2024.

What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?

The lowest recorded value was 41.43 years in 1960.

How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for life expectancy at birth, total?

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.

Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?

Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.

Life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

Name: Life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Creator: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Life expectancy at birth, total was 62.8 years in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)

62.8 years

Change on year

up 0.3%

Rank

42nd

of 47 groups

All-time high

62.8 years

in 2024

All-time low

41.43 years

in 1960

Years of data

1960–2024

Life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2024

Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2024, life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 62.8 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 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 62.8 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 41.43 years, in 1960.

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 42nd 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, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960 to 2024.
Year	years	Change
1960	41.43 years	—
1961	41.73 years	+0.7%
1962	42.24 years	+1.2%
1963	42.52 years	+0.7%
1964	42.85 years	+0.8%
1965	43.12 years	+0.6%
1966	43.22 years	+0.2%
1967	43.54 years	+0.7%
1968	44.03 years	+1.1%
1969	44.31 years	+0.6%
1970	44.77 years	+1.0%
1971	45.09 years	+0.7%
1972	45.18 years	+0.2%
1973	45.74 years	+1.2%
1974	45.97 years	+0.5%
1975	46.32 years	+0.8%
1976	47 years	+1.5%
1977	47.43 years	+0.9%
1978	47.71 years	+0.6%
1979	48.15 years	+0.9%
1980	48.54 years	+0.8%
1981	48.82 years	+0.6%
1982	49.1 years	+0.6%
1983	48.38 years	-1.5%
1984	48.51 years	+0.3%
1985	48.8 years	+0.6%
1986	49.21 years	+0.8%
1987	49.89 years	+1.4%
1988	49.87 years	-0.0%
1989	50.15 years	+0.6%
1990	50.03 years	-0.2%
1991	49.93 years	-0.2%
1992	49.9 years	-0.1%
1993	50.18 years	+0.6%
1994	50.12 years	-0.1%
1995	50.49 years	+0.7%
1996	50.45 years	-0.1%
1997	50.62 years	+0.3%
1998	50.56 years	-0.1%
1999	51.01 years	+0.9%
2000	51.64 years	+1.3%
2001	51.99 years	+0.7%
2002	52.36 years	+0.7%
2003	52.83 years	+0.9%
2004	53.35 years	+1.0%
2005	53.89 years	+1.0%
2006	54.59 years	+1.3%
2007	55.26 years	+1.2%
2008	55.89 years	+1.1%
2009	56.37 years	+0.9%
2010	57.11 years	+1.3%
2011	57.47 years	+0.6%
2012	58.23 years	+1.3%
2013	58.72 years	+0.8%
2014	58.99 years	+0.5%
2015	59.4 years	+0.7%
2016	59.81 years	+0.7%
2017	60.16 years	+0.6%
2018	60.77 years	+1.0%
2019	61.13 years	+0.6%
2020	61.17 years	+0.1%
2021	60.7 years	-0.8%
2022	61.86 years	+1.9%
2023	62.6 years	+1.2%
2024	62.8 years	+0.3%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	42.9 years	41.43 years	44.31 years	10
1970s	46.34 years	44.77 years	48.15 years	10
1980s	49.13 years	48.38 years	50.15 years	10
1990s	50.33 years	49.9 years	51.01 years	10
2000s	53.82 years	51.64 years	56.37 years	10
2010s	59.18 years	57.11 years	61.13 years	10
2020s	61.83 years	60.7 years	62.8 years	5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

39 Greece 81.84 years compare
40 Cyprus 81.82 years compare
41 Bahrain 81.42 years compare
42 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 81.39 years compare
43 Chile 81.36 years compare
44 Maldives 81.28 years compare
45 Channel Islands 81.2 years compare

See the full ranking of 266 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

Population ages 80 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0031 units per person (2025)
Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 3.5 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0023 units per person (2025)
Population ages 80 and above, female, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0016 units per person (2025)
Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?: Life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 62.8 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?: The highest recorded value was 62.8 years in 2024.
What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?: The lowest recorded value was 41.43 years in 1960.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for life expectancy at birth, total?: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?: Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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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Life expectancy at birth, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-at-birth-total-years/sub-saharan-africa-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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About this data

Indicator: Life expectancy at birth, total (years)
Unit: years
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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.