Life expectancy in Greenland
Greenland: Life expectancy was 70.06 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
70.06 years
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
170th
of 236 countries
All-time high
70.39 years
in 2016
All-time low
39.5 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy in Greenland, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in Greenland is 70.06 years, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Greenland peaked at 70.39 years in 2016 and was at its lowest, 39.5 years, in 1950.
That places Greenland 170th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Greenland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 39.5 years | — |
| 1951 | 41.09 years | +4.0% |
| 1952 | 42.85 years | +4.3% |
| 1953 | 44.65 years | +4.2% |
| 1954 | 46.65 years | +4.5% |
| 1955 | 48.79 years | +4.6% |
| 1956 | 51.1 years | +4.7% |
| 1957 | 53.53 years | +4.7% |
| 1958 | 55.56 years | +3.8% |
| 1959 | 57.25 years | +3.0% |
| 1960 | 58.55 years | +2.3% |
| 1961 | 59.39 years | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 59.92 years | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 60.28 years | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 60.69 years | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 61.22 years | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 61.65 years | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 62.22 years | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 62.66 years | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 63.03 years | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 63.03 years | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 62.97 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 62.73 years | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 62.39 years | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 61.96 years | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 61.75 years | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 61.67 years | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 61.65 years | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 61.77 years | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 61.98 years | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 62.16 years | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 62.33 years | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 62.51 years | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 62.64 years | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 62.75 years | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 62.82 years | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 62.87 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 62.91 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 62.99 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 63.09 years | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 63.24 years | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 63.51 years | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 63.79 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 64.08 years | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 63.91 years | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 64.16 years | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 64.33 years | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 64.49 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 64.66 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 65.12 years | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 65.63 years | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 66.27 years | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 67.01 years | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 67.62 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 67.55 years | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 67.77 years | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 68.14 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 68.34 years | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 68.4 years | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 68.38 years | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 68.45 years | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 68.79 years | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 69.35 years | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 69.8 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 70.09 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 70.23 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 70.39 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 70.39 years | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 70.35 years | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 70.26 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 70.16 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 70.05 years | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 70.05 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 70.06 years | +0.0% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 70.06 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 86% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 70.06 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.72 years, 88% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.1 years | 39.5 years | 57.25 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 60.96 years | 58.55 years | 63.03 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 62.19 years | 61.65 years | 63.03 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 62.71 years | 62.16 years | 63.09 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.13 years | 63.24 years | 65.12 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.51 years | 65.63 years | 68.4 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.81 years | 68.45 years | 70.39 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.08 years | 70.05 years | 70.16 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 167 Nepal 70.35 years compare
- 168 Guyana 70.18 years compare
- 169 Turkmenistan 70.07 years compare
- 171 Niue 69.98 years compare
- 172 Philippines 69.83 years compare
- 173 Sao Tome and Principe 69.72 years compare
More health data for Greenland
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,447 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3856 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1 deaths (2100)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 0.1299 % change on previous year (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 344 (2025)
- Population, female, per capita 0.4749 units per person (2025)
- Population, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.1153 units per person (2025)
- Population, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Greenland?
- Life expectancy in Greenland was 70.06 years in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 70.39 years in 2016.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.5 years in 1950.
- How does Greenland rank for life expectancy?
- Greenland ranks 170th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth among totals, in a given year.