Life expectancy - Regions in South Africa

South Africa: Life expectancy - Regions was 64.4 Years in 2020. β–¬ Flat

Latest (2020)
64.4 Years
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
50th
of 50 countries
All-time high
64.4 Years
in 2020
All-time low
53.4 Years
in 2004
Years of data
31
1990–2020

Life expectancy - Regions in South Africa, 1990–2020

02040601990200520201990: 62.2 Years1991: 62.4 Years1992: 62.4 Years1993: 62.3 Years1994: 62 Years1995: 61.5 Years1996: 60.7 Years1997: 59.7 Years1998: 58.5 Years1999: 57.2 Years2000: 56.1 Years2001: 55.1 Years2002: 54.3 Years2003: 53.8 Years2004: 53.4 Years2005: 53.5 Years2006: 53.8 Years2007: 54.5 Years2008: 55.4 Years2009: 56.5 Years2010: 57.7 Years2011: 58.9 Years2012: 60.1 Years2013: 61.1 Years2014: 62 Years2015: 62.7 Years2016: 63.2 Years2017: 63.5 Years2018: 63.9 Years2019: 64.1 Years2020: 64.4 Years

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for life expectancy - regions in South Africa is 64.4 Years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy - regions in South Africa peaked at 64.4 Years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 53.4 Years, in 2004.

South Africa ranks 50th of 50 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 60.89 Years 57.2 Years 62.4 Years 10
2000s 54.64 Years 53.4 Years 56.5 Years 10
2010s 61.72 Years 57.7 Years 64.1 Years 10
2020s 64.4 Years 64.4 Years 64.4 Years 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 48 Indonesia 71.9 Years compare
  2. 49 India 69.9 Years compare

See the full ranking of 54 places β†’

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy - regions in South Africa?
Life expectancy - regions in South Africa was 64.4 Years in 2020, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest life expectancy - regions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 64.4 Years in 2020.
What is the lowest life expectancy - regions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 53.4 Years in 2004.
How does South Africa rank for life expectancy - regions?
South Africa ranks 50th out of 50 countries with data for 2020.
Is life expectancy - regions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Life expectancy - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy - Regions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy-regions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy - Regions
Unit
Years
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
54 places, 1,727 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

This dataset provides indicators on on life expectancy at birth, in large regions (TL2) and small regions (TL3) when available. Data definition and source Life expectancy at birth is defined as how long, on average, a newborn can expect to live, if current death rates do not change. However, the actual age-specific death rate of any particular birth cohort cannot be known in advance. If rates fall (or rise), actual life expectancy will be higher (or lower) than the life expectancy calculated on the basis of current mortality rates. Data is collected from Eurostat (reg_dem) for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites. Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). For more information, see the OECD Territorial grid (pdf) and the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table (xlsx). Territorial typologies Small TL3 regions are categorized based on shared characteristics into regional typologies. See the demographic indicators aggregated by territorial typology at country level on the access to City typology (link) and by urban-rural typology (link). Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats. Further information OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For questions and/or comments, please email RegionStat@oecd.org.