Life expectancy at different ages in India
India: Life expectancy at different ages was 72 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
72
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
152nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
72
in 2023
All-time low
23.15
in 1911
Years of data
85
1881–2023
Life expectancy at different ages in India, 1881–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at different ages in India stood at 72. That is the highest value across all 85 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at different ages in India peaked at 72 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 23.15, in 1911.
India ranks 152nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 85 years of available data.
Life expectancy at different ages in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 25.44 | — |
| 1891 | 24.27 | -4.6% |
| 1901 | 23.49 | -3.2% |
| 1905 | 23.98 | +2.1% |
| 1911 | 23.15 | -3.5% |
| 1915 | 24.02 | +3.8% |
| 1921 | 24.86 | +3.5% |
| 1925 | 27.61 | +11.1% |
| 1931 | 29.31 | +6.2% |
| 1935 | 30.95 | +5.6% |
| 1941 | 32.59 | +5.3% |
| 1950 | 41.18 | +26.4% |
| 1951 | 41.6 | +1.0% |
| 1952 | 42.09 | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 42.39 | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 43.25 | +2.0% |
| 1955 | 43.74 | +1.1% |
| 1956 | 44.13 | +0.9% |
| 1957 | 44.41 | +0.6% |
| 1958 | 44.78 | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 45.26 | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 45.61 | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 45.82 | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 46.13 | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 46.46 | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 46.74 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 45.56 | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 45.88 | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 46.18 | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 47.92 | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 48.26 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 48.59 | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 48.9 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 49.21 | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 49.64 | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 50.26 | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 50.76 | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 51.3 | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 51.82 | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 52.42 | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 53.01 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 53.59 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 54.17 | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 54.74 | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 55.28 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 55.81 | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 56.32 | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 56.82 | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 57.29 | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 57.74 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 58.2 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 58.62 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 59.03 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 59.45 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 59.82 | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 60.24 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 60.63 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 61.03 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 61.44 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 61.85 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 62.28 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 62.75 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 63.16 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 63.65 | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 64.09 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 64.48 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 64.94 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 65.37 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 65.8 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 66.25 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 66.7 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 67.16 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.62 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 68.08 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 68.5 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 68.93 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 69.33 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 69.71 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 70.07 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 70.42 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 70.75 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 70.16 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 67.28 | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 71.7 | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 72 | +0.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 72 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.65, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 72 is below the median for South Asia, which is 73.82, 98% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy at different ages in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +26.4% | 32.59 | 41.18 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 25.44 | 25.44 | 25.44 | 1 |
| 1890s | 24.27 | 24.27 | 24.27 | 1 |
| 1900s | 23.73 | 23.49 | 23.98 | 2 |
| 1910s | 23.58 | 23.15 | 24.02 | 2 |
| 1920s | 26.23 | 24.86 | 27.61 | 2 |
| 1930s | 30.13 | 29.31 | 30.95 | 2 |
| 1940s | 32.59 | 32.59 | 32.59 | 1 |
| 1950s | 43.28 | 41.18 | 45.26 | 10 |
| 1960s | 46.46 | 45.56 | 48.26 | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.59 | 48.59 | 53.01 | 10 |
| 1980s | 56 | 53.59 | 58.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.44 | 58.62 | 62.28 | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.72 | 62.75 | 66.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.06 | 67.16 | 70.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.28 | 67.28 | 72 | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
- 149 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.14 compare
- 150 Syria 72.12 compare
- 151 El Salvador 72.1 compare
- 153 Tajikistan 71.79 compare
- 154 Mongolia 71.73 compare
- 155 Samoa 71.7 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at different ages in India?
- Life expectancy at different ages in India was 72 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at different ages recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 72 in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at different ages recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.15 in 1911.
- How does India rank for life expectancy at different ages?
- India ranks 152nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at different ages rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at different ages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 85 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).