science

List of countries by life expectancy

List of countries by life expectancy is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of countries by life expectancy rather than just read about it. In short: This list of countries and territories by life expectancy provides a comprehensive list of countries alongside their respective life expectancy figures. The data are differentiated by sex, presenting life expectancies for males, females, and a combined average.

Key takeaways

List of countries by life expectancy belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of countries by life expectancy to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of countries by life expectancy from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This list of countries and territories by life expectancy provides a comprehensive list of countries alongside their respective life expectancy figures. The data are differentiated by sex, presenting life expectancies for males, females, and a combined average. In addition to sovereign nations, the list encompasses several non-sovereign entities and territories. The figures serve as an indicator of the quality of healthcare in the respective countries and are influenced by various factors, including the prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. This article introduces the concept of Healthy life expectancy (HALE), which denotes the average number of years a person is expected to live in "full health". There are challenges in comparing life expectancies across countries due to disparities in data reporting and collection standards. The primary source of the most recent data presented is the World Bank Group's 2022 report.

Methodology The life expectancy is shown separately for males and for females, as well as a combined figure. Several non-sovereign entities and territories are also included in this list. The figures reflect the quality of healthcare in the countries listed, as well as other factors including HIV infections. From the start of the 21st century, estimates of healthy life expectancy (HALE), the average number of years that a person can expect to live in "full health", are also produced. Comparing life expectancies across countries can be difficult, due to poor reporting in some countries and different local standards in collecting statistics. This is especially true for healthy life expectancy, the definition of which may change over time, even within a country.

United Nations (2023) Estimations are by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Only countries with populations over 50,000 are listed. Due to this criterion, the table does not include such countries as Monaco (LE 86.37 years, population 39,000), San Marino (LE 85.71 years, population 34,000), and Saint Barthélemy (LE 84.29 years, population 11,000). The values are rounded. All calculations were made with raw data. These values are used to calculate the Human Development Index.

UN: Estimate of life expectancy for various ages in 2023 Location links in this table are "Demographics by LOCATION" links.

UN: Change of life expectancy from 2019 to 2023

World Bank Group (2024) Estimation of the World Bank Group for 2024. Only countries with populations over 50,000 are listed. Due to this criterion, the table does not include such countries as Monaco (LE 86.50 years, population 39,000), San Marino (LE 85.82 years, population 34,000), and Liechtenstein (LE 84.20 years, population 41,000). The values in the World Bank Group tables are rounded. All calculations were done on raw data, therefore, due to the nuances of rounding, in some places illusory inconsistencies of indicators arose, with a size of 0.01 year.

World Health Organization (2019) According to data published by the World Health Organization. By default, data are sorted by life expectancy at birth for all population, and in case of equal values by HALE for all population.

CIA World Factbook (2024) The US CIA published the following life expectancy data in its World Factbook.

Gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of countries by life expectancy

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of countries by life expectancy claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of countries by life expectancy before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of countries by life expectancy ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of countries by life expectancy

In research: List of countries by life expectancy appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of countries by life expectancy in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of countries by life expectancy is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Demographic lists, Life expectancy, Lists of countries, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of countries by life expectancy outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of countries by life expectancy in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is List of countries by life expectancy in simple terms?

Why does List of countries by life expectancy matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of countries by life expectancy?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of countries by life expectancy.