Jeanne Calment was the oldest verified person to have ever lived, passing away at 122.
Despite Calment's extraordinary longevity, her home country, France, ranks 19th in the world for average life expectancy.
The World Bank Group collected data on life expectancy at birth by country through 2024. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns remain the same throughout their life.
The countries ranked highest tend to be wealthier, with robust healthcare systems and lower rates of early-life mortality.
Meanwhile, the countries with the lowest life expectancy are all located in Africa, which often faces disease, malnutrition, and conflict. High mortality among infants and children and healthcare shortages on the continent significantly lower the life expectancy at birth.
The US ranked 47th in the dataset, with an average life expectancy of 78.9 years.
The World Bank Group used statistics from sources such as the United Nations and national statistical office databases. Business Insider did not include autonomous regions and territories listed in the data.
The average life expectancy estimates for 2024 are based on data interpolated across five-year periods, so they may not reflect events that occurred in that year and affected mortality rates, such as a conflict or famine.
See the 15 countries with the highest life expectancy, followed by the 15 with the lowest.
13. (tie) Norway's average life expectancy is 83.2 years.
Average female life expectancy: 84.8
Average male life expectancy: 81.6
13. (tie) Luxembourg's average life expectancy is 83.2.
Average female life expectancy: 85.5
Average male life expectancy: 81.0
13. (tie) Israel's average life expectancy is 83.2.
Average female life expectancy: 85.4
Average male life expectancy: 81.1
12. Singapore's average life expectancy is 83.3 years.
Average female life expectancy: 85.6
Average male life expectancy: 81.2
11. South Korea's average life expectancy is 83.6 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.6
Average male life expectancy: 80.8
10. Spain's average life expectancy is 83.9 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.5
Average male life expectancy: 81.4
8. (tie) Italy's average life expectancy is 84.0 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.0
Average male life expectancy: 82.0
8. (tie) Japan's average life expectancy is 84.0 years.
Average female life expectancy: 87.1
Average male life expectancy: 81.1
7. Sweden's average life expectancy is 84.1 years.
Average female life expectancy: 85.6
Average male life expectancy: 82.6
5. (tie) Andorra's average life expectancy is 84.2 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.2
Average male life expectancy: 82.3
5. (tie) Liechtenstein's average life expectancy is 84.2 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.3
Average male life expectancy: 82.2
4. Switzerland's average life expectancy is 84.4 years.
Average female life expectancy: 86.2
Average male life expectancy: 82.7
3. Kuwait's average life expectancy is 84.6 years.
Average female life expectancy: 85.4
Average male life expectancy: 83.8
2. San Marino's average life expectancy is 85.8 years.
Average female life expectancy: 87.2
Average male life expectancy: 84.3
1. Monaco's average life expectancy is 86.5 years.
Average female life expectancy: 88.6
Average male life expectancy: 84.6
15. On the lower end, Nauru's average life expectancy is 62.3 years.
Average female life expectancy: 64.2
Average male life expectancy: 60.4
14. Côte d'Ivoire's average life expectancy is 62.1 years.
Average female life expectancy: 64.3
Average male life expectancy: 60.2
13. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's average life expectancy is 62.1 years.
Average female life expectancy: 64.2
Average male life expectancy: 60.0
12. Sierra Leone's average life expectancy is 62.0 years.
Average female life expectancy: 63.7
Average male life expectancy: 60.2
11. Niger's average life expectancy is 61.4 years.
Average female life expectancy: 62.4
Average male life expectancy: 60.5
10. Burkina Faso's average life expectancy is 61.3 years.
Average female life expectancy: 63.4
Average male life expectancy: 59.1
9. Benin's average life expectancy is 61.0 years.
Average female life expectancy: 62.4
Average male life expectancy: 59.5
8. Guinea's average life expectancy is 60.9 years.
Average female life expectancy: 62.1
Average male life expectancy: 59.7
7. Mali's average life expectancy is 60.7 years.
Average female life expectancy: 62.2
Average male life expectancy: 59.3
6. Somalia's average life expectancy is 59.0 years.
Average female life expectancy: 61.6
Average male life expectancy: 56.5
5. Lesotho's average life expectancy is 57.8 years.
Average female life expectancy: 60.4
Average male life expectancy: 55.0
3. (tie) South Sudan's average life expectancy is 57.7 years.
Average female life expectancy: 60.7
Average male life expectancy: 54.8
3. (tie) The Central African Republic's average life expectancy is 57.7 years.
Average female life expectancy: 59.6
Average male life expectancy: 55.5
2. Chad's average life expectancy is 55.2 years.
Average female life expectancy: 57.2
Average male life expectancy: 53.4
1. Nigeria's average life expectancy is 54.6 years.
Average female life expectancy: 54.9
Average male life expectancy: 54.3
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James LaForge was a Life Fellow on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. He has covered history, lifestyle, and culture for Business Insider and partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.He previously wrote for New Jersey Monthly Magazine, covering lifestyle and culture content. He graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts.Selected Articles:
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Roya is a reporter on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. She is based in London. Before joining Business Insider, she worked as a reporter at financial newswire Alliance News and was an intern at The Wall Street Journal. Roya graduated from City St George's, University of London with an MA in International Journalism.
