Life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa
South Africa: Life expectancy at birth who gho was 61.5 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
61.5
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
168th
of 185 countries
All-time high
65.84
in 2019
All-time low
52.03
in 2005
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2021, life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa stood at 61.5.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa peaked at 65.84 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 52.03, in 2005.
That places South Africa 168th out of 185 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.12 | — |
| 2001 | 55.87 | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 54.32 | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 52.93 | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 52.25 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 52.03 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 52.11 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 52.91 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 53.91 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 55.27 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 57.1 | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 59.1 | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 60.82 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 62.09 | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 62.78 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 63.26 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 63.88 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 64.75 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 65.32 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 65.84 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 64.3 | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 61.5 | -4.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 61.5 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 72.72, 85% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 61.5 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.05, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.87 | 52.03 | 57.12 | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.49 | 57.1 | 65.84 | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.9 | 61.5 | 64.3 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 165 Mali 61.67 compare
- 166 Democratic Republic of Congo 61.63 compare
- 167 Equatorial Guinea 61.61 compare
- 169 Guinea 61.26 compare
- 170 Botswana 61.23 compare
- 171 Sierra Leone 61.02 compare
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % 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 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa?
- Life expectancy at birth who gho in South Africa was 61.5 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth who gho recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.84 in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth who gho recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.03 in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for life expectancy at birth who gho?
- South Africa ranks 168th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth who gho rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth who gho. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).