How long you live depends a lot on where you’re born…

Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao illustrates this phenomenon in the above map, which uses 2025 life expectancy at birth projections from the UN World Population Prospects published last year.

Life expectancy at birth measures the average number of years that a newborn could expect to live, if they were subject to the age-specific mortality rates of a given period.

ℹ️ This number visualized is an average between men and women. For extra context, women have higher life expectancies than men in nearly every country in the world.

Ranked: Countries Where People Live the Longest

The micronation of Monaco has the highest average life expectancy in the world. A baby born in the country in 2025 can expect to live to 87 years old.

Rank
Country
ISO Code
Average life
expectancy at birth,
2025 (in years)
1
🇲🇨 Monaco
MCO
87
2
🇸🇲 San Marino
SMR
86
3
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
HKG
86
4
🇯🇵 Japan
JPN
85
5
🇰🇷 South Korea
KOR
85
6
🇧🇱 Saint Barthélemy
BLM
85
7
🇦🇩 Andorra
AND
84
8
🇵🇫 French Polynesia
PYF
84
9
🇨🇭 Switzerland
CHE
84
10
🇦🇺 Australia
AUS
84
11
🇮🇹 Italy
ITA
84
12
🇸🇬 Singapore
SGP
84
13
🇪🇸 Spain
ESP
84
14
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
LIE
84
15
🇷🇪 Réunion
REU
84
16
🇬🇮 Gibraltar
GIB
84
17
🇲🇹 Malta
MLT
84
18
🇳🇴 Norway
NOR
84
19
🇫🇷 France
FRA
84
20
🇸🇪 Sweden
SWE
84
21
🇬🇬 Guernsey
GGY
84
22
🇲🇴 Macao
MAC
83
23
🇻🇦 Holy See
VAT
83
24
🇦🇪 UAE
ARE
83
25
🇮🇸 Iceland
ISL
83
26
🇲🇶 Martinique
MTQ
83
27
🇨🇦 Canada
CAN
83
28
🇮🇱 Israel
ISR
83
29
🇮🇪 Ireland
IRL
83
30
🇵🇹 Portugal
PRT
83
31
🇶🇦 Qatar
QAT
83
32
🇧🇲 Bermuda
BMU
83
33
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
LUX
82
34
🇳🇱 Netherlands
NLD
82
35
🇧🇪 Belgium
BEL
82
36
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe
GLP
82
37
🇳🇿 New Zealand
NZL
82
38
🇦🇹 Austria
AUT
82
39
🇩🇰 Denmark
DNK
82
40
🇫🇮 Finland
FIN
82
41
🇬🇷 Greece
GRC
82
42
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
PRI
82
43
🇨🇾 Cyprus
CYP
82
44
🇸🇮 Slovenia
SVN
82
45
🇩🇪 Germany
DEU
82
46
🇬🇧 UK
GBR
82
47
🇧🇭 Bahrain
BHR
82
48
🇨🇱 Chile
CHL
82
49
🇲🇻 Maldives
MDV
82
50
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
IMN
81
51
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
CRI
81
52
🇹🇼 Taiwan
TWN
81
53
🇰🇼 Kuwait
KWT
81
54
🇰🇾 Cayman Islands
CYM
81
55
🇲🇫 Saint Martin
MAF
81
56
🇫🇴 Faroe Islands
FRO
81
57
🇴🇲 Oman
OMN
80
58
🇨🇿 Czechia
CZE
80
59
🇯🇪 Jersey
JEY
80
60
🇵🇦 Panama
PAN
80
61
🇦🇱 Albania
ALB
80
62
🇦🇮 Anguilla
AIA
80
63
🇺🇸 U.S.
USA
80
64
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands
FLK
80
65
🇪🇪 Estonia
EST
79
66
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
SAU
79
67
🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands
MNP
79
68
🇳🇨 New Caledonia
NCL
79
69
🇵🇱 Poland
POL
79
70
🇭🇷 Croatia
HRV
79
71
🇼🇫 Wallis & Futuna Islands
WLF
79
72
🇸🇰 Slovakia
SVK
79
73
🇺🇾 Uruguay
URY
78
74
🇨🇺 Cuba
CUB
78
75
🇽🇰 Kosovo
XKX
78
76
🇨🇳 China
CHN
78
77
🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands
TCA
78
78
🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina
BIH
78
79
🇯🇴 Jordan
JOR
78
80
🇵🇪 Peru
PER
78
81
🇨🇴 Colombia
COL
78
82
🇱🇧 Lebanon
LBN
78
83
🇮🇷 Iran
IRN
78
84
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda
ATG
78
85
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
LKA
78
86
🇹🇷 Türkiye
TUR
78
87
🇧🇶 Bonaire
BES
78
88
🇪🇨 Ecuador
ECU
78
89
🇦🇷 Argentina
ARG
78
90
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
MKD
78
91
🇬🇺 Guam
GUM
78
92
🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands
VGB
78
93
🌴 Polynesia (no emoji available)
POL
78
94
🇲🇪 Montenegro
MNE
77
95
🇬🇫 French Guiana
GUF
77
96
🇭🇺 Hungary
HUN
77
97
🇹🇰 Tokelau
TKL
77
98
🇨🇼 Curaçao
CUW
77
99
🇷🇸 Serbia
SRB
77
100
🇸🇭 Saint Helena
SHN
77
101
🇵🇲 Saint Pierre & Miquelon
SPM
77
102
🇲🇾 Malaysia
MYS
77
103
🇹🇳 Tunisia
TUN
77
104
🇹🇭 Thailand
THA
77
105
🇸🇽 Sint Maarten
SXM
77
106
🇩🇿 Algeria
DZA
77
107
🇦🇼 Aruba
ABW
77
108
🇧🇧 Barbados
BRB
76
109
🇲🇸 Montserrat
MSR
76
110
🇱🇻 Latvia
LVA
76
111
🇾🇹 Mayotte
MYT
76
112
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde
CPV
76
113
🇱🇹 Lithuania
LTU
76
114
🇷🇴 Romania
ROU
76
115
🇧🇷 Brazil
BRA
76
116
🇦🇲 Armenia
ARM
76
117
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
BGR
76
118
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
VIR
76
119
🇲🇦 Morocco
MAR
76
120
🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam
BRN
76
121
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
COK
76
122
🇬🇩 Grenada
GRD
76
123
🇲🇽 Mexico
MEX
75
124
🇲🇺 Mauritius
MUS
75
125
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
NIC
75
126
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
BGD
75
127
🇻🇳 Viet Nam
VNM
75
128
🇺🇦 Ukraine
UKR
75
129
🇧🇸 Bahamas
BHS
75
130
🇬🇪 Georgia
GEO
75
131
🇧🇾 Belarus
BLR
75
132
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
AZE
75
133
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
KAZ
75
134
🇵🇾 Paraguay
PRY
74
135
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
DOM
74
136
🇧🇿 Belize
BLZ
74
137
🇸🇷 Suriname
SUR
74
138
🇰🇵 North Korea
PRK
74
139
🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago
TTO
74
140
🇧🇹 Bhutan
BTN
74
141
🇷🇺 Russia
RUS
74
142
🇹🇴 Tonga
TON
73
143
🇭🇳 Honduras
HND
73
144
🇱🇾 Libya
LBY
73
145
🇸🇨 Seychelles
SYC
73
146
🇺🇸 American Samoa
ASM
73
147
🇵🇸 Palestine
PSE
73
148
🇱🇨 Saint Lucia
LCA
73
149
🇸🇾 Syria
SYR
73
150
🇬🇹 Guatemala
GTM
73
151
🇻🇪 Venezuela
VEN
73
152
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
UZB
73
153
🇮🇶 Iraq
IRQ
73
154
🇸🇻 El Salvador
SLV
73
155
🇮🇳 India
IND
72
156
🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis
KNA
72
157
🇲🇳 Mongolia
MNG
72
158
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
TJK
72
159
🇪🇬 Egypt
EGY
72
160
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
KGZ
72
161
🇼🇸 Samoa
WSM
72
162
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
VUT
72
163
🇪🇭 Western Sahara
ESH
72
164
🇯🇲 Jamaica
JAM
72
165
🇻🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
VCT
72
166
🇲🇩 Moldova
MDA
71
167
🇩🇲 Dominica
DMA
71
168
🇮🇩 Indonesia
IDN
71
169
🇰🇭 Cambodia
KHM
71
170
🇳🇵 Nepal
NPL
71
171
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
SLB
71
172
🇬🇾 Guyana
GUY
70
173
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
TKM
70
174
🇬🇱 Greenland
GRL
70
175
🇳🇺 Niue
NIU
70
176
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe
STP
70
177
🇵🇭 Philippines
PHL
70
178
🇾🇪 Yemen
YEM
70
179
🇵🇼 Palau
PLW
69
180
🇱🇦 Laos
LAO
69
181
🇧🇼 Botswana
BWA
69
182
🇸🇳 Senegal
SEN
69
183
🇪🇷 Eritrea
ERI
69
184
🇲🇷 Mauritania
MRT
69
185
🇧🇴 Bolivia
BOL
69
186
🇺🇬 Uganda
UGA
69
187
🇬🇦 Gabon
GAB
69
188
🇷🇼 Rwanda
RWA
68
189
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
TLS
68
190
🇵🇰 Pakistan
PAK
68
191
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
ETH
68
192
🇲🇼 Malawi
MWI
68
193
🇳🇦 Namibia
NAM
68
194
🇫🇯 Fiji
FJI
68
195
🇫🇲 Micronesia
FSM
68
196
🇹🇿 Tanzania
TZA
67
197
🇹🇻 Tuvalu
TUV
67
198
🇲🇲 Myanmar
MMR
67
199
🇰🇲 Comoros
COM
67
200
🇲🇭 Marshall Islands
MHL
67
201
🇰🇮 Kiribati
KIR
67
202
🇸🇩 Sudan
SDN
67
203
🇿🇲 Zambia
ZMB
67
204
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
AFG
67
205
🇿🇦 South Africa
ZAF
66
206
🇩🇯 Djibouti
DJI
66
207
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
PNG
66
208
🇬🇲 Gambia
GMB
66
209
🇨🇬 Congo
COG
66
210
🇬🇭 Ghana
GHA
66
211
🇭🇹 Haiti
HTI
65
212
🇦🇴 Angola
AGO
65
213
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau
GNB
64
214
🇸🇿 Eswatini
SWZ
64
215
🇨🇲 Cameroon
CMR
64
216
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
GNQ
64
217
🇲🇬 Madagascar
MDG
64
218
🇰🇪 Kenya
KEN
64
219
🇧🇮 Burundi
BDI
64
220
🇲🇿 Mozambique
MOZ
64
221
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
ZWE
63
222
🇹🇬 Togo
TGO
63
223
🇱🇷 Liberia
LBR
62
224
🇳🇷 Nauru
NRU
62
225
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire
CIV
62
226
🇨🇩 DRC
COD
62
227
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
SLE
62
228
🇳🇪 Niger
NER
62
229
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
BFA
61
230
🇧🇯 Benin
BEN
61
231
🇬🇳 Guinea
GIN
61
232
🇲🇱 Mali
MLI
61
233
🇸🇴 Somalia
SOM
59
234
🇱🇸 Lesotho
LSO
58
235
🇨🇫 Central African Republic
CAF
58
236
🇸🇸 South Sudan
SSD
58
237
🇹🇩 Chad
TCD
55
238
🇳🇬 Nigeria
NGA
55

Note: Figures rounded.

Most of the top 10 countries are similarly small-sized territories or countries.

However, Japan (#4), South Korea (#5), and Australia (#10) are the three top-10 countries with the highest life expectancies (84+) when accounting for a population of more than 20 million people.

Regionally, Western European countries have the highest life expectancies at birth. Their counterparts in Eastern Europe are a shade lower.

And despite Japan and South Korea’s performance, most Asians have life expectancies between 70–80 years. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Papua New Guinea are below the 70-year threshold.

However, several African countries have a below-60 life expectancy, a projected lifespan that is a full 20 years shorter than Western European residents.

Nigeria has the lowest average life expectancy at birth, at 55 years.

What Life Expectancy Numbers Mean for Individuals

Life expectancies are tricky things to fully comprehend: in that they change throughout a person’s lifespan and are measured for entire cohorts born in a year.

For example, in countries with lower projected expectancies, it doesn’t necessarily mean adults don’t live as long.

A high infant mortality rate for a particular cohort of babies born in a year could reduce the projected lifespan of the entire cohort. However once a baby from that year survives to adulthood, they may very well reach their 70s.

In fact, data shows that the biggest difference between life expectancies of Africa and high-income regions are for those before the age of 5 and after 60.

This is because both babies and older adults have a need for specific medical infrastructure which many Africans don’t have access to.

There is a strong correlation between wealth and longer lifespans. Check out Countries with the Highest GDP per Capita in 2024 to see similarities.