Why is the gap between top and bottom countries so large?

The gap between the longest and shortest-lived countries is about 32 years. Drivers include: per capita income, healthcare access, sanitation, maternal mortality, infant mortality, conflict, and burden of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Life Expectancy by Country 2026

Q: Which country has the highest life expectancy?

Monaco has the highest life expectancy at 86.5 years (UN WPP 2024), followed by San Marino (85.8) and Japan (84.9).

Q: Which country has the lowest life expectancy?

Nigeria has the lowest life expectancy at 54.6 years. The bottom of the ranking is dominated by countries facing extreme poverty, conflict, or high HIV/malaria burden.

Q: What is the world average life expectancy?

The world average life expectancy at birth in 2024 is approximately 73.3 years (UN WPP 2024). Women live about 5 years longer than men globally.

Q: How is life expectancy calculated?

Life expectancy at birth is calculated using a life table that applies current age-specific mortality rates to a hypothetical cohort. It is a period (snapshot) measure, not a forecast of how long today's babies will actually live.

Q: Why do women live longer than men?

Globally women outlive men by ~5 years on average. Causes include lower rates of cardiovascular disease at younger ages, lower-risk behavior (less drinking/smoking/violent death historically), and biological factors. The gap is wider in Russia and Eastern Europe and narrower in much of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Q: How has life expectancy changed since 1950?

World life expectancy roughly doubled from ~46 years in 1950 to ~73 years today. The biggest gains came from reduced infant and child mortality, improved sanitation, antibiotics, and vaccines. Japan, South Korea, and many European countries gained 25–30 years.

Q: What is the difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy?

Life expectancy counts all years lived. Healthy life expectancy (HALE) counts only years in full health, excluding years lost to disability or chronic illness. HALE is typically 8–12 years lower than total life expectancy.

Q: Will life expectancy keep rising?

UN projections show continued gains in most countries through 2100, though more slowly. The US, UK, and several developed countries have seen recent stagnation or declines due to drug overdoses, suicide, and obesity-related causes. COVID-19 caused temporary global declines that have since reversed in most countries.

Q: Why is the US life expectancy lower than peer countries?

The United States has life expectancy of about 79.5 years — well below other wealthy nations. Drivers include drug overdoses, gun violence, traffic deaths, infant mortality, and gaps in healthcare access. The US is the only major developed country where life expectancy fell in recent years before the COVID disruption.

All 195 countries ranked by life expectancy at birth (2024). Monaco leads at 86.5 years; Nigeria has the lowest at 54.6 years. The gap between longest- and shortest-lived populations is roughly 32 years. World average: 73.3 years.

Last updated 2026-05-22 · Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024

World Life Expectancy Map 2024

Color shows life expectancy at birth. Hover any country for details · Click to open.

Source: UN WPP 2024 · Boundaries: Natural Earth

Hover for details · Click to open · Scroll to zoom

Life expectancy:No data<60 yrs60–6565–7272–7878–8282+ yrs

Tiny island nations (Vatican City, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu, Marshall Is., etc.) are below the 110-meter resolution of the base map and don't appear here. See the full ranking table below for every country.

Monaco

86.5 yrs

men 84.6 · women 88.6

San Marino

85.8 yrs

men 84.3 · women 87.2

Japan

84.9 yrs

men 81.8 · women 87.9

World avg

All 195 countries

73.3 yrs

men 70.7 · women 76

+32

years gap

Top vs bottom: Monaco (86.5) vs Nigeria (54.6)

+5.3

female advantage

Women live longer than men globally

~27

years gained since 1950

World avg rose from ~46 to ~73.3

#45

USA rank

79.5 yrs — below most wealthy nations

What Drives the 32-Year Gap

Source: UN WPP 2024 · WHO Global Health Observatory

Driver #1

Infant mortality

Top 10 countries: under 2 deaths per 1,000 live births. Bottom 10: 40–80. Reducing infant deaths is the single biggest lever on life expectancy.

Driver #2

Universal healthcare

Every country in the top 10 has universal healthcare. Bottom 10 spend < $100 per capita on health. Access to medicine compounds across decades.

Driver #3

Sanitation & water

Clean water and sewage systems eliminate diarrhea, cholera, dysentery — historically the biggest killers of children. The 20th-century gains worldwide came mostly here.

Driver #4

Conflict & violence

The bottom of the ranking is dominated by countries with active or recent conflict (Chad, CAR, Somalia, Yemen). Stability gains can move a country up 5–10 years.

Top 10 Countries by Life Expectancy (2024)

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision

Monaco leads, but the gap among the top 10 is only ~2 years (84–86 range). All are wealthy, peaceful countries with strong healthcare. Click any bar for that country's page.

Bottom 10 Countries by Life Expectancy (2024)

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision

The bottom 10 are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, with conflict zones and high disease burden. The gap with the top is ~30 years — a longer life span than many people in these countries are projected to live at all.

Regional Patterns

Mean life expectancy by region · UN WPP 2024

Europe

80.4

44 countries · average yrs

Highest:Monaco (86.5)

Lowest:Moldova (71.3)

Asia

75.3

48 countries · average yrs

Highest:Japan (84.9)

Lowest:Afghanistan (66.3)

Americas

75.0

35 countries · average yrs

Highest:Canada (82.7)

Lowest:Haiti (65.1)

Oceania

70.5

14 countries · average yrs

Highest:Australia (84.1)

Lowest:Nauru (62.3)

Africa

65.7

54 countries · average yrs

Highest:Tunisia (76.7)

Lowest:Nigeria (54.6)

Recent Trends to Know

Patterns since 2010 · UN WPP, OECD, CDC

US Stagnation

Life expectancy in the US fell from 78.9 (2014) to ~76 (2021) — the only major developed country with sustained decline pre-COVID. Drivers: drug overdoses, suicide, obesity, traffic deaths.

COVID Impact (2020–22)

Most countries lost 1–3 years of life expectancy during 2020–2021. Russia, Bulgaria, and the US saw the largest declines. Most have since fully recovered, but recovery was uneven.

Fastest Improvers

Sub-Saharan African countries with stable governance — Rwanda, Ethiopia, Senegal — have gained 10+ years since 2000 through HIV control, malaria nets, and improved maternal care.

United States

79.5 yrs

Rank #45 · M 77 · F 82

China

78 yrs

Rank #54 · M 75.2 · F 81

India

72.2 yrs

Rank #114 · M 70.7 · F 73.9

📋 Data Sources & Methodology

Life expectancy figures

Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (and male/female breakdowns) from UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision. Historical years 1950–2023 are Estimates; 2024 onward is the medium-variant projection.

What life expectancy means

A period measure: the average years a newborn would live if today's age-specific mortality rates held constant. Not a forecast of how long today's babies will actually live.

Countries included

All 195 UN-recognized sovereign states (193 members + 2 observer states). Microstates with very small populations have wider uncertainty intervals.

Data quality

Developed countries: accurate to within 0.2 years. Developing countries with weaker civil registration: uncertainty intervals of 1–3 years are common. UN harmonizes national figures.

All 195 Countries Ranked by Life Expectancy

Source: UN WPP 2024 · Mid-2024 estimates

#	Country	Both sexes	Men	Women	Gap (F−M)	vs world
1	Monaco	86.5	84.6	88.6	+4.0	+13.2
2	San Marino	85.8	84.3	87.2	+2.9	+12.5
3	Japan	84.9	81.8	87.9	+6.1	+11.6
4	South Korea	84.4	81.3	87.3	+6.0	+11.1
5	Andorra	84.2	82.3	86.2	+3.9	+10.9
6	Australia	84.1	82.3	85.8	+3.5	+10.8
7	Switzerland	84.1	82.2	85.9	+3.7	+10.8
8	Italy	83.9	81.8	85.9	+4.1	+10.6
9	Singapore	83.9	81.4	86.4	+5.0	+10.6
10	Spain	83.8	81.1	86.4	+5.3	+10.5
11	Liechtenstein	83.7	82	85.4	+3.4	+10.4
12	France	83.5	80.6	86.2	+5.6	+10.2
13	Malta	83.5	81.5	85.4	+3.9	+10.2
14	Norway	83.5	81.9	85	+3.1	+10.2
15	Sweden	83.4	81.6	85.2	+3.6	+10.1
16	United Arab Emirates	83.1	82.2	84.3	+2.1	+9.8
17	Vatican City	83.1	81	85.2	+4.2	+9.8
18	Iceland	83	81.6	84.5	+2.9	+9.7
19	Canada	82.7	80.5	84.9	+4.4	+9.4
20	Israel	82.7	80.7	84.7	+4.0	+9.4
21	Ireland	82.6	80.6	84.6	+4.0	+9.3
22	Portugal	82.6	79.7	85.3	+5.6	+9.3
23	Qatar	82.5	81.8	83.5	+1.7	+9.2
24	Luxembourg	82.4	80.7	83.9	+3.2	+9.1
25	Belgium	82.3	80.1	84.4	+4.3	+9.0
26	Netherlands	82.3	80.7	83.9	+3.2	+9.0
27	New Zealand	82.2	80.6	83.9	+3.3	+8.9
28	Austria	82.1	79.8	84.4	+4.6	+8.8
29	Denmark	82.1	80.2	84	+3.8	+8.8
30	Finland	82.1	79.4	84.8	+5.4	+8.8
31	Greece	82	79.5	84.5	+5.0	+8.7
32	Cyprus	81.8	79.8	83.8	+4.0	+8.5
33	Slovenia	81.8	79.1	84.5	+5.4	+8.5
34	Germany	81.5	79.2	83.9	+4.7	+8.2
35	Bahrain	81.4	80.9	82.1	+1.2	+8.1
36	Chile	81.4	79.5	83.2	+3.7	+8.1
37	United Kingdom	81.4	79.5	83.3	+3.8	+8.1
38	Maldives	81.3	79.9	83	+3.1	+8.0
39	Costa Rica	81	78.4	83.6	+5.2	+7.7
40	Kuwait	80.6	79.4	82	+2.6	+7.3
41	Oman	80.2	78.7	82	+3.3	+6.9
42	Czech Republic	80	77.2	82.7	+5.5	+6.7
43	Albania	79.8	77.9	81.6	+3.7	+6.5
44	Panama	79.8	76.9	82.7	+5.8	+6.5
45	United States	79.5	77	82	+5.0	+6.2
46	Estonia	79.3	75.1	83.2	+8.1	+6.0
47	Saudi Arabia	79	77.3	81.3	+4.0	+5.7
48	Croatia	78.8	75.6	81.8	+6.2	+5.5
49	Poland	78.8	75.1	82.5	+7.4	+5.5
50	Slovakia	78.5	75.2	81.7	+6.5	+5.2
51	Cuba	78.3	75.9	80.7	+4.8	+5.0
52	Uruguay	78.3	74.4	82	+7.6	+5.0
53	Bosnia and Herzegovina	78	74.6	81.1	+6.5	+4.7
54	China	78	75.2	81	+5.8	+4.7
55	Jordan	78	75.9	80.3	+4.4	+4.7
56	Colombia	77.9	75.2	80.6	+5.4	+4.6
57	Iran	77.9	76	79.8	+3.8	+4.6
58	Lebanon	77.9	75.9	79.9	+4.0	+4.6
59	Peru	77.9	75.6	80.3	+4.7	+4.6
60	Antigua and Barbuda	77.8	74.7	80.4	+5.7	+4.5
61	Sri Lanka	77.7	74.4	80.7	+6.3	+4.4
62	Ecuador	77.6	74.9	80.3	+5.4	+4.3
63	Argentina	77.5	75	80	+5.0	+4.2
64	North Macedonia	77.5	75.3	79.7	+4.4	+4.2
65	Turkey	77.4	74.6	80.3	+5.7	+4.1
66	Montenegro	77.3	73.9	80.4	+6.5	+4.0
67	Hungary	77.2	73.9	80.3	+6.4	+3.9
68	Serbia	76.9	73.7	80.2	+6.5	+3.6
69	Malaysia	76.8	74.4	79.5	+5.1	+3.5
70	Tunisia	76.7	74.1	79.3	+5.2	+3.4
71	Thailand	76.6	72.3	81	+8.7	+3.3
72	Algeria	76.5	75.1	77.9	+2.8	+3.2
73	Barbados	76.3	73.8	78.8	+5.0	+3.0
74	Latvia	76.3	71.8	80.6	+8.8	+3.0
75	Cabo Verde	76.2	73.1	79.4	+6.3	+2.9
76	Lithuania	76.2	71.4	80.8	+9.4	+2.9
77	Romania	76.1	72.6	79.7	+7.1	+2.8
78	Brazil	76	73	79.1	+6.1	+2.7
79	Armenia	75.8	71.6	79.6	+8.0	+2.5
80	Bulgaria	75.8	72.3	79.4	+7.1	+2.5
81	Brunei	75.5	73.5	77.7	+4.2	+2.2
82	Morocco	75.5	73.3	77.8	+4.5	+2.2
83	Grenada	75.4	72.5	78.5	+6.0	+2.1
84	Mexico	75.3	72.4	78	+5.6	+2.0
85	Mauritius	75.1	72.1	78.3	+6.2	+1.8
86	Nicaragua	75.1	72.5	77.6	+5.1	+1.8
87	Bangladesh	74.9	73.3	76.7	+3.4	+1.6
88	Bahamas	74.7	71.1	78.3	+7.2	+1.4
89	Georgia	74.7	69.7	79.2	+9.5	+1.4
90	Ukraine	74.7	69.8	79.4	+9.6	+1.4
91	Vietnam	74.7	70.1	79.4	+9.3	+1.4
92	Azerbaijan	74.6	71.7	77.3	+5.6	+1.3
93	Belarus	74.6	69.7	79.2	+9.5	+1.3
94	Kazakhstan	74.5	70.3	78.5	+8.2	+1.2
95	Paraguay	74	71	77.1	+6.1	+0.7
96	Dominican Republic	73.9	70.7	77.1	+6.4	+0.6
97	Suriname	73.8	70.6	77	+6.4	+0.5
98	Belize	73.7	71.1	76.7	+5.6	+0.4
99	North Korea	73.7	71.6	75.9	+4.3	+0.4
100	Trinidad and Tobago	73.6	70.5	76.8	+6.3	+0.3
101	Bhutan	73.3	71.6	75.3	+3.7	+0.0
102	Russia	73.3	67.5	79.2	+11.7	+0.0
103	Tonga	73.1	69.5	76.5	+7.0	-0.2
104	Honduras	73	70.5	75.7	+5.2	-0.3
105	Seychelles	73	70.1	76.7	+6.6	-0.3
106	Saint Lucia	72.8	69.5	76.5	+7.0	-0.5
107	Guatemala	72.7	70.4	75	+4.6	-0.6
108	Venezuela	72.7	68.9	76.7	+7.8	-0.6
109	Syria	72.6	70.2	74.9	+4.7	-0.7
110	Uzbekistan	72.5	69.6	75.5	+5.9	-0.8
111	Iraq	72.4	70.5	74.2	+3.7	-0.9
112	El Salvador	72.3	67.8	76.5	+8.7	-1.0
113	Saint Kitts and Nevis	72.3	68.7	76.2	+7.5	-1.0
114	India	72.2	70.7	73.9	+3.2	-1.1
115	Mongolia	72	67.5	76.7	+9.2	-1.3
116	Tajikistan	71.9	69.7	74.1	+4.4	-1.4
117	Egypt	71.8	69.7	74	+4.3	-1.5
118	Kyrgyzstan	71.8	68.3	75.4	+7.1	-1.5
119	Samoa	71.8	70	73.8	+3.8	-1.5
120	Vanuatu	71.7	69.6	74.1	+4.5	-1.6
121	Jamaica	71.6	69.1	74.1	+5.0	-1.7
122	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	71.4	68.8	74.5	+5.7	-1.9
123	Dominica	71.3	68.4	74.7	+6.3	-2.0
124	Indonesia	71.3	69.2	73.4	+4.2	-2.0
125	Moldova	71.3	66.7	75.7	+9.0	-2.0
126	Libya	71.1	69.6	72.7	+3.1	-2.2
127	Cambodia	70.8	68.1	73.4	+5.3	-2.5
128	Solomon Islands	70.7	69.4	72.2	+2.8	-2.6
129	Nepal	70.6	69.1	72.1	+3.0	-2.7
130	Guyana	70.3	66.6	74.1	+7.5	-3.0
131	Turkmenistan	70.2	67	73	+6.0	-3.1
132	Philippines	69.9	67	73	+6.0	-3.4
133	Sao Tome and Principe	69.9	66.4	73.9	+7.5	-3.4
134	Palau	69.4	67.3	71.9	+4.6	-3.9
135	Yemen	69.4	67.4	71.5	+4.1	-3.9
136	Botswana	69.3	66.8	71.9	+5.1	-4.0
137	Laos	69.2	67	71.5	+4.5	-4.1
138	Palestine	69.2	65.2	74.3	+9.1	-4.1
139	Eritrea	68.9	66.8	70.9	+4.1	-4.4
140	Senegal	68.9	67	71	+4.0	-4.4
141	Bolivia	68.7	66.3	71.3	+5.0	-4.6
142	Mauritania	68.7	66.7	70.7	+4.0	-4.6
143	Gabon	68.5	66.1	71.2	+5.1	-4.8
144	Uganda	68.5	65.5	71.4	+5.9	-4.8
145	Rwanda	68	65.7	70.1	+4.4	-5.3
146	Timor-Leste	67.9	66.3	69.7	+3.4	-5.4
147	Pakistan	67.8	65.5	70.3	+4.8	-5.5
148	Ethiopia	67.6	64.4	71	+6.6	-5.7
149	Malawi	67.6	64.3	70.8	+6.5	-5.7
150	Fiji	67.5	65.5	69.5	+4.0	-5.8
151	Namibia	67.5	63.5	71.5	+8.0	-5.8
152	Micronesia	67.4	63.6	71.3	+7.7	-5.9
153	Tuvalu	67.3	63.9	70.9	+7.0	-6.0
154	Tanzania	67.2	64.4	70	+5.6	-6.1
155	Marshall Islands	67.1	65	69.5	+4.5	-6.2
156	Myanmar	67.1	64	70.4	+6.4	-6.2
157	Comoros	67	65	69.2	+4.2	-6.3
158	Kiribati	66.6	64.7	68.3	+3.6	-6.7
159	Sudan	66.5	63.4	69.8	+6.4	-6.8
160	Zambia	66.5	64.1	68.9	+4.8	-6.8
161	Afghanistan	66.3	64.7	67.8	+3.1	-7.0
162	Papua New Guinea	66.3	63.8	69.2	+5.4	-7.0
163	South Africa	66.3	62.8	69.8	+7.0	-7.0
164	Djibouti	66.2	63.7	68.7	+5.0	-7.1
165	Gambia	66.1	64.4	67.8	+3.4	-7.2
166	Congo	66	64.3	67.7	+3.4	-7.3
167	Ghana	65.7	63.3	68.2	+4.9	-7.6
168	Haiti	65.1	61.9	68.5	+6.6	-8.2
169	Angola	64.8	62.3	67.3	+5.0	-8.5
170	Eswatini	64.3	61.3	67.1	+5.8	-9.0
171	Guinea-Bissau	64.3	61.8	66.5	+4.7	-9.0
172	Cameroon	64	61.8	66.2	+4.4	-9.3
173	Equatorial Guinea	63.9	62.2	65.9	+3.7	-9.4
174	Burundi	63.8	61.8	65.9	+4.1	-9.5
175	Kenya	63.8	61.6	66.1	+4.5	-9.5
176	Madagascar	63.8	62.1	65.6	+3.5	-9.5
177	Mozambique	63.8	60.5	66.7	+6.2	-9.5
178	Zimbabwe	63.1	60.5	65.3	+4.8	-10.2
179	Togo	62.9	62.7	63.2	+0.5	-10.4
180	Liberia	62.3	61	63.6	+2.6	-11.0
181	Nauru	62.3	60.4	64.2	+3.8	-11.0
182	Côte d'Ivoire	62.1	60.2	64.3	+4.1	-11.2
183	Democratic Republic of the Congo	62.1	60	64.2	+4.2	-11.2
184	Sierra Leone	62	60.2	63.7	+3.5	-11.3
185	Niger	61.4	60.5	62.4	+1.9	-11.9
186	Burkina Faso	61.3	59.1	63.4	+4.3	-12.0
187	Benin	61	59.5	62.4	+2.9	-12.3
188	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1	+2.4	-12.4
189	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2	+2.9	-12.6
190	Somalia	59	56.5	61.6	+5.1	-14.3
191	Lesotho	57.8	55	60.4	+5.4	-15.5
192	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6	+4.1	-15.6
193	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.7	+5.9	-15.6
194	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2	+3.8	-18.1
195	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9	+0.6	-18.7

Life Expectancy Glossary

Life expectancy at birth: Average years a newborn would live at current age-specific mortality rates. The standard headline figure.
Healthy life expectancy (HALE): Years lived in full health, excluding years lost to disability or chronic illness. ~8–12 years lower than total LE.
Period vs cohort: Period = snapshot using current rates. Cohort = actual lifespan of a generation. UN WPP reports period.
Gender gap: Female LE minus male LE. World ~5 yrs. Widest in Russia/Eastern Europe (~10 yrs). Narrowest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Infant mortality: Deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births. A huge driver of LE — high infant mortality drags LE down sharply.
Mortality compression: When deaths cluster in a narrow age range (e.g., 75–90). Common in developed countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the highest life expectancy?

Monaco at 86.5 years (UN WPP 2024). Followed by San Marino (85.8) and Japan (84.9).

Which country has the lowest life expectancy?

Nigeria at 54.6 years. The bottom of the list is dominated by countries with extreme poverty, conflict, or high disease burden.

What is the world average life expectancy?

73.3 years (UN WPP 2024). Men: 70.7, women: 76.

Why is the gap between top and bottom so large?

About 32 years separates the highest from lowest. Drivers: income, healthcare access, sanitation, maternal/infant mortality, conflict, and HIV/malaria burden.

How is life expectancy calculated?

A life table applies current age-specific mortality rates to a hypothetical newborn cohort. It's a period measure — a snapshot, not a forecast.

Why do women live longer than men?

Lower cardiovascular disease at younger ages, lower-risk behavior historically, biological factors. Gap is widest in Russia and Eastern Europe, narrowest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

How has life expectancy changed since 1950?

World average roughly doubled from ~46 years in 1950 to ~73 today. Biggest gains: reduced infant mortality, sanitation, antibiotics, vaccines.

What's the difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy?

Healthy life expectancy (HALE) only counts years in full health. Typically 8–12 years lower than total LE.

Will life expectancy keep rising?

UN projections show gains continuing through 2100, but slowing. US/UK have seen recent stagnation. COVID-19 caused temporary global declines that have since reversed.

Why is US life expectancy (79.5) lower than peer countries?

Drug overdoses, gun violence, traffic deaths, infant mortality, and gaps in healthcare access. The US is the only major developed country where LE fell before COVID.

Where does this data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision (population.un.org/wpp). Historical 1950–2023 from Estimates sheet; 2024+ is medium-variant projection. Last updated 2026-05-22.

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Sources & Further Reading

Primary source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision — life expectancy at birth, period measure, both sexes plus male/female
Methodology: UN WPP 2024 Methodology Report
Alternative source: WHO Global Health Observatory — HALE and other health indicators
Last updated 2026-05-22.