Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa
South Africa: Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality was 0.1656 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.1656
Change on year
down 4.0%
World rank
33rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
0.3912
in 1950
All-time low
0.1656
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); Aburto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa is 0.1656, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa peaked at 0.3912 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.1656, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 33rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.3912 | — |
| 1951 | 0.3811 | -2.6% |
| 1952 | 0.3709 | -2.7% |
| 1953 | 0.3602 | -2.9% |
| 1954 | 0.3491 | -3.1% |
| 1955 | 0.3384 | -3.1% |
| 1956 | 0.3273 | -3.3% |
| 1957 | 0.3168 | -3.2% |
| 1958 | 0.3074 | -3.0% |
| 1959 | 0.2998 | -2.5% |
| 1960 | 0.2931 | -2.2% |
| 1961 | 0.2876 | -1.9% |
| 1962 | 0.2836 | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 0.2804 | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 0.2776 | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 0.2754 | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 0.2728 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 0.2704 | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 0.268 | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 0.2654 | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 0.2625 | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 0.2593 | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 0.2561 | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 0.2528 | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 0.249 | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 0.2448 | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 0.2404 | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 0.2353 | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 0.2304 | -2.1% |
| 1979 | 0.2256 | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 0.22 | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 0.2151 | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 0.2098 | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 0.2047 | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 0.2001 | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 0.1955 | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 0.1917 | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 0.1883 | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 0.1852 | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 0.1831 | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.182 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 0.181 | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 0.1814 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 0.1828 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 0.1855 | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 0.1898 | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 0.2026 | +6.8% |
| 1997 | 0.2107 | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 0.2185 | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 0.2266 | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 0.2387 | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 0.2498 | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 0.2637 | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 0.2727 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 0.2782 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 0.2771 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 0.2708 | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 0.2639 | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 0.2573 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2429 | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 0.2335 | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 0.2137 | -8.5% |
| 2012 | 0.2074 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.199 | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 0.1921 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1881 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 0.1833 | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 0.1785 | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 0.1771 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.1755 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.1675 | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 0.1733 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 0.1726 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1656 | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.3442 | 0.2998 | 0.3912 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.2774 | 0.2654 | 0.2931 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2456 | 0.2256 | 0.2625 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1994 | 0.1831 | 0.22 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1961 | 0.181 | 0.2266 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2615 | 0.2387 | 0.2782 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1948 | 0.1755 | 0.2335 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1697 | 0.1656 | 0.1733 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0081 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 2.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0035 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 5,666 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa?
- Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality in South Africa was 0.1656 in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); Aburto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy versus lifespan inequality recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3912 in 1950.
- What is the lowest life expectancy versus lifespan inequality recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1656 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for life expectancy versus lifespan inequality?
- South Africa ranks 33rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy versus lifespan inequality rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); Aburto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy versus lifespan inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Level of inequality in lifespans, measured between 0 and 1.