Life expectancy at birth in World
World: Life expectancy at birth was 71.37 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
71.37
Change on year
down 1.5%
Rank
6th
of 11 groups
All-time high
73.12
in 2019
All-time low
66.77
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth in World, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in World is 71.37, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in World peaked at 73.12 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 66.77, in 2000.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 66.77 | — |
| 2001 | 67.1 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 67.36 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 67.62 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 67.95 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 68.39 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 68.98 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 69.42 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 69.7 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 70.22 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 70.5 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 70.93 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 71.31 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 71.66 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 71.95 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 72.19 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 72.44 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 72.68 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 72.89 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 73.12 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 72.45 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 71.37 | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 68.35 | 66.77 | 70.22 | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.97 | 70.5 | 73.12 | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.91 | 71.37 | 72.45 | 2 |
Countries ranked near World
- 3 South Korea 83.8 compare
- 4 Switzerland 83.33 compare
- 5 Australia 83.1 compare
- 6 Norway 82.88 compare
- 7 Luxembourg 82.78 compare
- 8 Sweden 82.66 compare
- 9 Spain 82.66 compare
More health data for World
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2,458 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.47 % 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 0.0381 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6031 % 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 0.0401 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, annual growth rate -0.915 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in World?
- Life expectancy at birth in World was 71.37 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 73.12 in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.77 in 2000.
- How does World rank for life expectancy at birth?
- World ranks 6th out of 11 groups with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).