Life Expectancy of South Africa
Created on April 3, 2021.
Updated on May 15, 2023.
The total life expectancy at birth for South Africa was 62.34 years in 2021, a difference of -2.91 years compared to 2020, according to recent data from the World Bank. The most recent figures on male and female life expectancies at birth for South Africa were 59.46 years and 65.00 years respectively in 2021.
The World Bank defines life expectancy at birth as "the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns at the time of its birth remain constant in the future".
The chart and table below shows the total, male, and female life expectancies of South Africa for 1960-2021.
Data Source: World Bank.
Life Expectancy of South Africa (Years)
Total
Male
Female
Life Expectancy of South Africa (Years)
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| Year | Total (Yrs) | Male (Yrs) | Female (Yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 52.67 | 50.88 | 54.75 |
| 1961 | 53.09 | 51.21 | 55.25 |
| 1962 | 53.38 | 51.45 | 55.60 |
| 1963 | 53.63 | 51.66 | 55.91 |
| 1964 | 53.91 | 51.89 | 56.22 |
| 1965 | 54.19 | 52.12 | 56.56 |
| 1966 | 54.39 | 52.22 | 56.86 |
| 1967 | 54.63 | 52.35 | 57.22 |
| 1968 | 54.88 | 52.56 | 57.51 |
| 1969 | 55.19 | 52.81 | 57.89 |
| 1970 | 55.58 | 53.15 | 58.32 |
| 1971 | 55.96 | 53.45 | 58.77 |
| 1972 | 56.27 | 53.70 | 59.18 |
| 1973 | 56.72 | 54.12 | 59.67 |
| 1974 | 57.12 | 54.44 | 60.16 |
| 1975 | 57.51 | 54.77 | 60.65 |
| 1976 | 58.01 | 55.22 | 61.21 |
| 1977 | 58.49 | 55.62 | 61.79 |
| 1978 | 58.98 | 56.06 | 62.37 |
| 1979 | 59.40 | 56.46 | 62.81 |
| 1980 | 59.81 | 56.89 | 63.22 |
| 1981 | 60.36 | 57.41 | 63.83 |
| 1982 | 60.93 | 58.01 | 64.30 |
| 1983 | 61.47 | 58.52 | 64.77 |
| 1984 | 61.91 | 59.02 | 65.01 |
| 1985 | 62.38 | 59.45 | 65.41 |
| 1986 | 62.91 | 59.80 | 65.94 |
| 1987 | 63.04 | 60.01 | 65.97 |
| 1988 | 63.35 | 60.12 | 66.47 |
| 1989 | 63.31 | 60.14 | 66.36 |
| 1990 | 63.38 | 59.93 | 66.71 |
| 1991 | 63.27 | 59.51 | 66.94 |
| 1992 | 63.34 | 59.53 | 67.07 |
| 1993 | 63.05 | 59.10 | 66.83 |
| 1994 | 62.61 | 58.78 | 66.19 |
| 1995 | 62.26 | 58.44 | 65.75 |
| 1996 | 61.46 | 57.76 | 64.72 |
| 1997 | 60.81 | 57.28 | 63.83 |
| 1998 | 60.00 | 56.62 | 62.88 |
| 1999 | 59.24 | 55.99 | 62.01 |
| 2000 | 58.47 | 55.40 | 61.05 |
| 2001 | 57.26 | 54.57 | 59.47 |
| 2002 | 55.67 | 53.19 | 57.67 |
| 2003 | 54.33 | 51.97 | 56.23 |
| 2004 | 54.04 | 51.89 | 55.72 |
| 2005 | 53.98 | 52.06 | 55.43 |
| 2006 | 54.28 | 52.21 | 55.89 |
| 2007 | 54.99 | 52.69 | 56.85 |
| 2008 | 56.02 | 53.49 | 58.11 |
| 2009 | 57.45 | 54.73 | 59.72 |
| 2010 | 58.90 | 56.07 | 61.27 |
| 2011 | 60.65 | 57.73 | 63.11 |
| 2012 | 61.85 | 58.78 | 64.45 |
| 2013 | 62.53 | 59.35 | 65.27 |
| 2014 | 63.38 | 60.06 | 66.26 |
| 2015 | 63.95 | 60.71 | 66.78 |
| 2016 | 64.75 | 61.31 | 67.79 |
| 2017 | 65.40 | 61.95 | 68.43 |
| 2018 | 65.67 | 62.20 | 68.74 |
| 2019 | 66.18 | 62.83 | 69.11 |
| 2020 | 65.25 | 62.18 | 67.96 |
| 2021 | 62.34 | 59.46 | 65.00 |