Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea
Eritrea: Life expectancy at birth, by sex was 70.66 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
70.66 years
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
187th
of 236 countries
All-time high
70.66 years
in 2023
All-time low
32.15 years
in 1957
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea stood at 70.66 years. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea peaked at 70.66 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 32.15 years, in 1957.
Eritrea ranks 187th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 35.36 years | — |
| 1951 | 35.66 years | +0.8% |
| 1952 | 36.02 years | +1.0% |
| 1953 | 36.4 years | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 36.87 years | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 37.22 years | +0.9% |
| 1956 | 37.71 years | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 32.15 years | -14.7% |
| 1958 | 32.7 years | +1.7% |
| 1959 | 39.08 years | +19.5% |
| 1960 | 39.55 years | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 40.01 years | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 40.45 years | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 40.91 years | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 41.29 years | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 41.67 years | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 39.58 years | -5.0% |
| 1967 | 42.31 years | +6.9% |
| 1968 | 42.62 years | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 42.89 years | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 43.24 years | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 43.58 years | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 42.72 years | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 43.15 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 41.36 years | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 41.82 years | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 45.64 years | +9.1% |
| 1977 | 46.05 years | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 46.44 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 46.73 years | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 47.23 years | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 47.53 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 47.8 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 39.5 years | -17.4% |
| 1984 | 40.02 years | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 40.87 years | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 41.5 years | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 49.98 years | +20.4% |
| 1988 | 50.62 years | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 50.57 years | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 52.02 years | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 52.82 years | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 53.88 years | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 54.58 years | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 55.4 years | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 56.19 years | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 56.92 years | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 57.68 years | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 57.56 years | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 54.63 years | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 58.49 years | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 59.97 years | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 60.61 years | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 61.19 years | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 61.74 years | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 62.34 years | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 63.12 years | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 63.7 years | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 64.22 years | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 64.97 years | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 65.49 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 66.08 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 66.58 years | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 66.96 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 67.46 years | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 67.9 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 68.28 years | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 68.66 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 69.03 years | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 69.36 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 69.26 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 68.98 years | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 69.83 years | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 70.66 years | +1.2% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 70.66 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 66.36 years, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 70.66 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 66.75 years, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 35.92 years | 32.15 years | 39.08 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 41.13 years | 39.55 years | 42.89 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 44.07 years | 41.36 years | 46.73 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.56 years | 39.5 years | 50.62 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.17 years | 52.02 years | 57.68 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.03 years | 58.49 years | 64.97 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.58 years | 65.49 years | 69.36 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.68 years | 68.98 years | 70.66 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
More health data for Eritrea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.2 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 821.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 425 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0652 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea?
- Life expectancy at birth, by sex in Eritrea was 70.66 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 70.66 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, by sex recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.15 years in 1957.
- How does Eritrea rank for life expectancy at birth, by sex?
- Eritrea ranks 187th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, by sex rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eritrea data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.