Which Countries Have The Lowest Life Expectancy?

How long can the average person expect to live in your country?

The average life expectancy of a country reflects the cumulative impacts of economic development, quality of life, healthcare systems, and various other factors that affect overall well-being.

Across the globe, life expectancy differs sharply between high-income and low-income countries. This infographic, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, shows the 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy (at birth) in the world, using data from the UN’s World Population Prospects portal.

Africa Dominates the Countries With the Lowest Life Expectancy

The African continent hosts 24 of the 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy, many of which are also among the least developed countries in the world.

Here’s a look at the countries with the lowest life expectancy:

Rank	Country	Life Expectancy (Both Sexes)	Life Expectancy (Male)	Life Expectancy (Female)
1	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9
2	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2
3	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.8
4	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6
5	Lesotho	57.8	55.0	60.4
6	Somalia	59.0	56.5	61.5
7	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.1
8	Guinea	60.9	59.7	59.7
9	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
10	Burkina Faso	61.3	59.1	63.4
11	Niger	61.4	60.5	62.4
12	Sierra Leone	62.0	60.2	63.7
13	Ivory Coast	62.1	60.2	64.3
14	DR Congo	62.1	60.0	64.2
15	Liberia	62.3	61.0	63.6
16	Nauru	62.3	60.4	64.2
17	Togo	62.9	62.7	63.1
18	Zimbabwe	63.1	60.5	65.3
19	Kenya	63.8	61.6	66.1
20	Madagascar	63.8	62.1	65.6
21	Burundi	63.8	61.8	65.9
22	Mozambique	63.8	60.5	66.7
23	Equatorial Guinea	63.9	62.2	65.9
24	Cameroon	64.0	61.8	66.2
25	Guinea-Bissau	64.3	61.8	66.5

Nigeria’s average of 54.6 years is around 32 years lower than Monaco’s, where people live the longest. Nigeria ranks among Africa’s largest economies, but life expectancy is shortened by widespread diseases, high poverty rates, and lack of adequate infrastructure.

In Central Africa, Chad also has one of the world’s lowest life expectancies at 55.2 years. Other nations in the region, such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan, continue to be affected by political instability and limited access to basic healthcare services. Meanwhile, Nauru, an island country in Oceania, is the only non-African country on the list and one of the smallest nations in the world.

Additionally, women outlive men in almost every country on the list (except Guinea). Mozambique has the largest gender-life expectancy gap, with women living longer by 6.2 years on average.

Has Life Expectancy Improved in Africa?

While the figures remain alarmingly low in some African countries, life expectancy on the continent as a whole increased from 53.7 years in 2000 to 63.8 years in 2023.

Furthermore, the continent hosts some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, including South Sudan and Niger, where life expectancy is currently low.

With potential for economic growth and infrastructure development, Africa’s life expectancy is projected to improve to 66 years by 2035 and over 68 years by 2050, although it would remain below the global average.

To learn more about this topic, check out this infographic on the Countries With the Highest Infant Mortality Rates, on the Voronoi app.