Life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Life expectancy was 80.43 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 80.43 years.
That represents a change of up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 80.92 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 41.31 years, in 1870.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 29th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 41.31 years | — |
| 1880 | 44.25 years | +7.1% |
| 1890 | 45.75 years | +3.4% |
| 1900 | 48.25 years | +5.5% |
| 1913 | 53.35 years | +10.6% |
| 1925 | 58.42 years | +9.5% |
| 1929 | 57.62 years | -1.4% |
| 1933 | 60.58 years | +5.1% |
| 1938 | 63.23 years | +4.4% |
| 1950 | 68.63 years | +8.5% |
| 1955 | 70.13 years | +2.2% |
| 1960 | 71.02 years | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 71.52 years | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 71.88 years | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 72.65 years | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 73.59 years | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 74.54 years | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 75.74 years | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 76.62 years | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 77.85 years | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 79.11 years | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 80.4 years | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 80.92 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 80.43 years | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 41.31 years | 41.31 years | 41.31 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 44.25 years | 44.25 years | 44.25 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 45.75 years | 45.75 years | 45.75 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 48.25 years | 48.25 years | 48.25 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 53.35 years | 53.35 years | 53.35 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 58.02 years | 57.62 years | 58.42 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 61.91 years | 60.58 years | 63.23 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 69.38 years | 68.63 years | 70.13 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 71.27 years | 71.02 years | 71.52 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 72.27 years | 71.88 years | 72.65 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 74.06 years | 73.59 years | 74.54 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 76.18 years | 75.74 years | 76.62 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 78.48 years | 77.85 years | 79.11 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 80.66 years | 80.4 years | 80.92 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 80.43 years | 80.43 years | 80.43 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More health data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 1.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0318 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 1.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0292 units per person (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Life expectancy in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 80.43 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 80.92 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.31 years in 1870.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for life expectancy?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 29th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.