Life Expectancy by Country (2024)
217 countries ranked · Global average: 74.0 years · Source: World Bank · Updated June 2026
Global Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth estimates the average number of years a newborn would live if current mortality rates persisted. It is one of the most powerful measures of a country's health and development. Monaco leads at 86.5 years, while Nigeria has the lowest at 54.6 years — a gap of roughly 30 years reflecting vast differences in healthcare access, nutrition, and living conditions.
COVID-19 caused the first significant global decline in life expectancy in decades, with severe impacts in Latin America, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. Most countries have since recovered, though the US has seen slower recovery than peers. Beyond infectious disease, the main determinants of life expectancy are access to healthcare, nutrition, environmental quality, and behavioral factors. Life expectancy data is sourced from the World Bank.
| # | Country | Life Expectancy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco | 86.5 years |
| 2 | San Marino | 85.8 years |
| 3 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 85.4 years |
| 4 | Kuwait | 84.6 years |
| 5 | Switzerland | 84.4 years |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 84.2 years |
| 7 | French Polynesia | 84.2 years |
| 8 | Andorra | 84.2 years |
| 9 | Sweden | 84.1 years |
| 10 | Japan | 84.0 years |
| 11 | Italy | 84.0 years |
| 12 | Spain | 83.9 years |
| 13 | Gibraltar | 83.6 years |
| 14 | Korea, Rep. | 83.6 years |
| 15 | Singapore | 83.3 years |
| 16 | Macao SAR, China | 83.3 years |
| 17 | Israel | 83.2 years |
| 18 | Luxembourg | 83.2 years |
| 19 | Norway | 83.2 years |
| 20 | Faroe Islands | 83.1 years |
| 21 | United Arab Emirates | 83.1 years |
| 22 | Australia | 83.1 years |
| 23 | Ireland | 83.0 years |
| 24 | France | 83.0 years |
| 25 | Malta | 83.0 years |
| 26 | Iceland | 82.8 years |
| 27 | Qatar | 82.5 years |
| 28 | Bermuda | 82.5 years |
| 29 | Portugal | 82.4 years |
| 30 | Finland | 82.3 years |
| 31 | Belgium | 82.3 years |
| 32 | Slovenia | 82.3 years |
| 33 | Denmark | 82.3 years |
| 34 | Canada | 82.1 years |
| 35 | New Zealand | 82.0 years |
| 36 | Austria | 82.0 years |
| 37 | Netherlands | 82.0 years |
| 38 | Puerto Rico (US) | 81.9 years |
| 39 | Greece | 81.8 years |
| 40 | Cyprus | 81.8 years |