Life expectancy in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Life expectancy was 65.37 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Ethiopia, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2020, life expectancy in Ethiopia stood at 65.37 years. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Ethiopia peaked at 65.37 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 25 years, in 1870.
That places Ethiopia 125th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 25 years | — |
| 1880 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 28.63 years | +14.5% |
| 1933 | 28.63 years | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 30 years | +4.8% |
| 1950 | 32.9 years | +9.7% |
| 1955 | 34.95 years | +6.2% |
| 1960 | 36.11 years | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 38.11 years | +5.5% |
| 1970 | 40.14 years | +5.3% |
| 1975 | 41.56 years | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 43.9 years | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 44.45 years | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 44.56 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 48.3 years | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 50.54 years | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 54.01 years | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 59.73 years | +10.6% |
| 2015 | 63.65 years | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 65.37 years | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 26.81 years | 25 years | 28.63 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 29.31 years | 28.63 years | 30 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 33.92 years | 32.9 years | 34.95 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 37.11 years | 36.11 years | 38.11 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.85 years | 40.14 years | 41.56 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 44.17 years | 43.9 years | 44.45 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 46.43 years | 44.56 years | 48.3 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 52.27 years | 50.54 years | 54.01 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 61.69 years | 59.73 years | 63.65 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 65.37 years | 65.37 years | 65.37 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1902 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1976 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Ethiopia?
- Life expectancy in Ethiopia was 65.37 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 65.37 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25 years in 1870.
- How does Ethiopia rank for life expectancy?
- Ethiopia ranks 125th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – 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 — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.