Life expectancy in South Africa
South Africa: Life expectancy was 61.5 Years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Years.
Analysis
In 2021, life expectancy in South Africa stood at 61.5 Years.
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 in South Africa peaked at 65.84 Years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 52.03 Years, 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 in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.12 Years | — |
| 2001 | 55.87 Years | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 54.32 Years | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 52.93 Years | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 52.25 Years | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 52.03 Years | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 52.11 Years | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 52.91 Years | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 53.91 Years | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 55.27 Years | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 57.1 Years | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 59.1 Years | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 60.82 Years | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 62.09 Years | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 62.78 Years | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 63.26 Years | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 63.88 Years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 64.75 Years | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 65.32 Years | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 65.84 Years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 64.3 Years | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 61.5 Years | -4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.87 Years | 52.03 Years | 57.12 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.49 Years | 57.1 Years | 65.84 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.9 Years | 61.5 Years | 64.3 Years | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 165 Mali 61.67 Years compare
- 166 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 61.63 Years compare
- 167 Equatorial Guinea 61.61 Years compare
- 169 Guinea 61.26 Years compare
- 170 Botswana 61.23 Years compare
- 171 Sierra Leone 61.02 Years 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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 22 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 314 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2,778 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in South Africa?
- Life expectancy in South Africa was 61.5 Years in 2021, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.84 Years in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.03 Years in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 168th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy 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 World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. 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).
About this data
The period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.