Life Expectancy of South Africa (2024)

In South Africa, the life expectancy of people varies between gender, race, and province.

Understanding life expectancy

Life expectancy refers to the number of years that a person can expect to live. It can be looked at in two perspectives namely; life expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy at birth.

Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years that a newborn could expect to live, (the average age of death).

Healthy life expectancy at birth is the average number of years that a person could expect to live in “full health” from birth. This measurement takes into consideration the years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.

South Africa’s life expectancy

According to the 2024 Mid-Year estimates by Statistics South Africa, life expectancy at birth is estimated at 69.2 years for females and 63.6 years for males. The overall life expectancy for South Africa is estimated at 66.5 years.

The life expectancy in South Africa is so low because of the South African HIV/AIDS pandemic which saw South African life expectancy fall from a high point of 63 years in 1992 to a low of 54 in 2005, and the failure of the government to take steps to address the pandemic in its early years.

Recently as of 2024, South Africa still has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world with 8 million people living with HIV and the HIV prevalence in the general population being a high 12.7%.

South Africa also has a TB problem and is one of the countries with the highest incidences of Tuberculosis in the world.

Together, HIV/AIDS and TB are the biggest health risks in South Africa and thus the leading cause of death in the country.

The low life expectancy in the country is made worse by South Africa’s infant mortality rate which is estimated at 22.9 per 1,000 live births according to the 2024 Mid-Year estimate by Statistics South Africa.

The table below shows the life expectancy at birth in South Africa from the year 1990 to 2022 according to the World Bank Group.

YearLife Expectancy (years)
202466.5
202261
202162
202065
201966
201866
201765
201665
201564
201463
201363
201262
201161
201059
200957
200856
200755
200654
200554
200454
200354
200256
200157
200058
199959
199860
199761
199661
199562
199463
199363
199263
199163
199063

South Africa’s life expectancy by gender

With approximately 50.99% (32,129,704) of the South African population being female and approximately 49.01% (30,886,200) being male, South Africa’s life expectancy at birth for 2024 was estimated at 63.6 years for males and 69.2 years for females.

The table shows the life expectancy at birth in South Africa for males and females.

GenderLife Expectancy
Male63.6
Female69.2

According to the above table, there is a sex gap of 5.58.

South Africa’s life expectancy by race

According to the 2024 Mid-Year estimates by Statistics South Africa, the life expectancy for a black South African was 48 years, and 71 years for a white South African.

RaceLife Expectancy
Black South African48
White South African71

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List of South African Provinces by Life Expectancy