Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI)

OECD (AHDI): Life expectancy was 80.67 years in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
80.67 years
Rank
1st
of 1 groups
All-time high
81.02 years
in 2015
All-time low
38.23 years
in 1870
Years of data
24
1870–2020

Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI), 1870–2020

0204060801870194520201870: 38.2 years1880: 39.5 years1890: 42.4 years1900: 45.3 years1913: 49.9 years1925: 54.5 years1929: 55.4 years1933: 57.7 years1938: 58.8 years1950: 66 years1955: 68.6 years1960: 69.6 years1965: 70.7 years1970: 71.5 years1975: 72.9 years1980: 74.3 years1985: 75.5 years1990: 76.5 years1995: 77.2 years2000: 78.4 years2005: 79.4 years2010: 80.5 years2015: 81 years2020: 80.7 years

Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

OECD (AHDI) recorded 80.67 years for life expectancy in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy in OECD (AHDI) peaked at 81.02 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 38.23 years, in 1870.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI), year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI), 1870 to 2020.
Year years Change
1870 38.23 years
1880 39.5 years +3.3%
1890 42.41 years +7.4%
1900 45.33 years +6.9%
1913 49.86 years +10.0%
1925 54.51 years +9.3%
1929 55.36 years +1.6%
1933 57.74 years +4.3%
1938 58.78 years +1.8%
1950 65.99 years +12.3%
1955 68.57 years +3.9%
1960 69.61 years +1.5%
1965 70.67 years +1.5%
1970 71.45 years +1.1%
1975 72.9 years +2.0%
1980 74.3 years +1.9%
1985 75.46 years +1.6%
1990 76.45 years +1.3%
1995 77.24 years +1.0%
2000 78.42 years +1.5%
2005 79.42 years +1.3%
2010 80.55 years +1.4%
2015 81.02 years +0.6%
2020 80.67 years -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1870s 38.23 years 38.23 years 38.23 years 1
1880s 39.5 years 39.5 years 39.5 years 1
1890s 42.41 years 42.41 years 42.41 years 1
1900s 45.33 years 45.33 years 45.33 years 1
1910s 49.86 years 49.86 years 49.86 years 1
1920s 54.94 years 54.51 years 55.36 years 2
1930s 58.26 years 57.74 years 58.78 years 2
1950s 67.28 years 65.99 years 68.57 years 2
1960s 70.14 years 69.61 years 70.67 years 2
1970s 72.17 years 71.45 years 72.9 years 2
1980s 74.88 years 74.3 years 75.46 years 2
1990s 76.85 years 76.45 years 77.24 years 2
2000s 78.92 years 78.42 years 79.42 years 2
2010s 80.78 years 80.55 years 81.02 years 2
2020s 80.67 years 80.67 years 80.67 years 1

Countries ranked near OECD (AHDI)

  1. 1 Hong Kong 85.2 years compare
  2. 2 Japan 84.69 years compare
  3. 3 Australia 84.32 years compare
  4. 4 Republic of Korea 83.61 years compare

See the full ranking of 163 places →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy in OECD (AHDI)?
Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI) was 80.67 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 OECD (AHDI)?
The highest recorded value was 81.02 years in 2015.
What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in OECD (AHDI)?
The lowest recorded value was 38.23 years in 1870.
How does OECD (AHDI) rank for life expectancy?
OECD (AHDI) ranks 1st out of 1 groups with data for 2020.
Is life expectancy rising or falling in OECD (AHDI)?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this OECD (AHDI) 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.

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Life expectancy in OECD (AHDI). Statizoid, drawing on Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-prados-de-la-escosura/oecd-ahdi/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy
Unit
years
Source
Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
163 places, 3,421 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

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.