How long do people live?
Click any country to see life expectancy at birth — how many years a newborn there can expect to live — and how it has changed over time.
Overview
A newborn today can expect to live about 73 years on average — from the mid-50s in the hardest-hit countries to the mid-80s in the longest-lived. This map shows life expectancy at birth for every country.
Key facts
- Global life expectancy at birth is around 73 years.
- Monaco, Japan and other high-income countries lead, above 84 years.
- The lowest figures, in the mid-50s, are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.
Common questions
What is life expectancy at birth?
The average number of years a newborn would live if current age-specific death rates stayed the same throughout its life. It is the standard summary of a population's mortality.
Which country has the highest life expectancy?
Small high-income states such as Monaco top the list at around 86 years, followed by Japan, Switzerland and other wealthy countries above 84.
Where does the data come from?
The UN World Population Prospects and related sources, compiled via Our World in Data.
Sources & methodology
Data from UN / Our World in Data, compiled via Our World in Data. Global figures are population-weighted across the countries that report this measure; countries without reliable recent data are shown as “no data”.
Last updated: 3 August 2026.
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