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Global ranking · 49 economies · World Bank data

Life Expectancy by Country 2026

Life Expectancy by Country 2026: 49 economies ranked by life expectancy, with nominal & PPP figures, 10-year trends, regional breakdowns, charts and a downloadable dataset. Switzerland leads at 84.4; Sweden ranks 2nd of 49 at 84.1 (2024). Source: World Bank. Free to cite.

By Affärslivet Research · Published 2026-07-01 · Updated 2026-07-08 · Version 1.1 · CC BY 4.0

84.4Highest (Switzerland)World Bank, 2024
2ndSweden's rankof 49 economies
84.1Swedenlife expectancy, 2024
81.6European Unionreference
80.4OECDreference
73.5Worldreference

Executive summary

This index ranks 49 of the world's largest economies by life expectancy, using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. Switzerland leads at 84.4 (2024); Nigeria is lowest among those ranked at 54.6. Sweden ranks 2nd of 49 at 84.1 (2024). As reference points, the EU stands at 81.6, the OECD at 80.4 and the world at 73.5. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

Key findings

0184.4of 49 economies

Switzerland tops the ranking

Switzerland has the highest life expectancy among the 49 economies in this index at 84.4 (2024).

Source: World Bank Open Data · 2024 · confidence: High

022nd84.1

Where Sweden ranks

Sweden ranks 2nd of 49 at 84.1 (2024), above the OECD reference of 80.4.

Source: World Bank Open Data · 2024 · confidence: High

035 economiesSwitzerland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Spain

Top five

The five highest by life expectancy are Switzerland (84.4), Sweden (84.1), Japan (84.0), Italy (84.0), Spain (83.9).

Source: World Bank Open Data · 2024 · confidence: High

Data vintage — July 2026

Figures reflect the most recent year available in the World Bank Open Data API for each economy (shown next to every value). This index of life expectancy by country regenerates automatically as new data is published.

Overview

Life expectancy at birth is the single most-used summary of a population's health and living standards. This index ranks countries by average life expectancy (World Bank, compiled from WHO and national statistics).

The spread among advanced economies is narrow — most high-income countries cluster in the low-to-mid 80s — but the gap to lower-income countries remains large, and the pandemic caused a measurable dip in several countries' figures.

What drives the ranking

Life expectancy reflects health-system quality and access, income, diet, smoking and alcohol, and public health. Beyond a certain income level, gains come more from behaviour and prevention than from spending alone.

Japan, Switzerland and the Nordics consistently top the advanced-economy rankings; the United States lags its wealth, a much-cited puzzle linked to inequality, drugs and healthcare access.

By region

Median life expectancy by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.

RegionEconomiesMedianHighestLowest
Europe2382.384.473.4
Asia-Pacific1277.484.069.9
Americas777.982.175.3
Middle East & Africa777.483.254.6

Biggest movers

The largest changes in life expectancy over the available window — where the action has been.

CountryChangeΔPeriod
Nigeria53.0 → 54.6+1.62019–2024
India70.7 → 72.2+1.52019–2024
Colombia76.8 → 77.9+1.12019–2024
Chile80.3 → 81.4+1.02019–2024
Sweden83.1 → 84.1+1.02019–2024
Indonesia70.3 → 71.3+0.92019–2024
Malaysia75.9 → 76.8+0.92019–2024
Romania75.6 → 76.5+0.92019–2024

Full ranking — 49 economies

Complete ranking by life expectancy, most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.

#CountryLife ExpectancyRegionYear
1Switzerland84.4Europe2024
2Sweden84.1Europe2024
3Japan84.0Asia-Pacific2024
4Italy84.0Europe2024
5Spain83.9Europe2024
6South Korea83.6Asia-Pacific2024
7Singapore83.3Asia-Pacific2024
8Israel83.2Middle East & Africa2024
9Norway83.2Europe2024
10United Arab Emirates83.1Middle East & Africa2024
11Australia83.1Asia-Pacific2024
12Ireland83.0Europe2024
13France83.0Europe2024
14Iceland82.8Europe2024
15Portugal82.4Europe2024
16Finland82.3Europe2024
17Belgium82.3Europe2024
18Denmark82.3Europe2024
19Canada82.1Americas2024
20New Zealand82.0Asia-Pacific2024
21Austria82.0Europe2024
22Netherlands82.0Europe2024
23Greece81.8Europe2024
24United Kingdom81.4Europe2024
25Chile81.4Americas2024
26Germany80.8Europe2024
27Czechia80.0Europe2024
28Saudi Arabia79.0Middle East & Africa2024
29United States78.9Americas2024
30Poland78.4Europe2024
31China78.0Asia-Pacific2024
32Colombia77.9Americas2024
33Argentina77.5Americas2024
34Turkiye77.4Middle East & Africa2024
35Malaysia76.8Asia-Pacific2024
36Hungary76.7Europe2024
37Thailand76.6Asia-Pacific2024
38Romania76.5Europe2024
39Brazil76.0Americas2024
40Mexico75.3Americas2024
41Viet Nam74.7Asia-Pacific2024
42Ukraine74.7Europe2024
43Russia73.4Europe2024
44India72.2Asia-Pacific2024
45Egypt71.8Middle East & Africa2024
46Indonesia71.3Asia-Pacific2024
47Philippines69.9Asia-Pacific2024
48South Africa66.3Middle East & Africa2024
49Nigeria54.6Middle East & Africa2024

Scoreboard (machine-readable data)

Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.

↓ CSV · ↓ JSON

IndicatorValuePeriodSourceConf.
Switzerland84.41 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Sweden84.06 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Japan84.04 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Italy83.95 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Spain83.89 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
South Korea83.63 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Singapore83.35 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Israel83.2 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Norway83.16 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
United Arab Emirates83.07 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Australia83.05 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Ireland83.01 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
France82.98 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Iceland82.81 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Portugal82.38 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Finland82.34 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Belgium82.3 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Denmark82.25 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Canada82.11 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
New Zealand82.01 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Austria82 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Netherlands81.97 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Greece81.84 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
United Kingdom81.39 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Chile81.36 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Germany80.79 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Czechia79.98 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Saudi Arabia78.98 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
United States78.89 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Poland78.41 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
China78.02 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Colombia77.91 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Argentina77.54 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Turkiye77.42 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Malaysia76.82 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Hungary76.72 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Thailand76.56 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Romania76.46 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Brazil76.02 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Mexico75.26 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Viet Nam74.74 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Ukraine74.69 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Russia73.44 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
India72.23 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Egypt71.81 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Indonesia71.29 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Philippines69.95 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
South Africa66.31 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh
Nigeria54.63 num2024World Bank Open DataHigh

Methodology & verification

Economies are ranked by life expectancy using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. Period life expectancy assumes today's mortality rates persist and is sensitive to shocks (e.g. the pandemic); it is not a forecast of how long today's newborns will actually live. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).

Data dictionary

FieldTypeDescription
metricstringWorld Bank indicator code : country ISO3
labelstringCountry name
valuenumberlife expectancy value
unitstringnum
periodstringReference year
geographystringCountry
source_urlstringWorld Bank indicator page

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest life expectancy?

Switzerland, at 84.4 (2024). Source: World Bank Open Data.

Where does Sweden rank by life expectancy?

Sweden ranks 2nd of 49 at 84.1 (2024). Source: World Bank.

What are the top five by life expectancy?

Switzerland (84.4), Sweden (84.1), Japan (84.0), Italy (84.0), Spain (83.9). Source: World Bank.

How is life expectancy defined?

Life expectancy at birth (years), as reported by the World Bank. See the methodology and glossary for details.

How many economies are ranked?

49 of the world's largest economies, plus the EU, OECD and World aggregates as reference points.

What is the caveat with this metric?

Period life expectancy assumes today's mortality rates persist and is sensitive to shocks (e.g. the pandemic); it is not a forecast of how long today's newborns will actually live.

Where does the data come from?

The World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Every figure shows its reference year and links to its World Bank indicator page.

How current is it, and how often does it update?

Each figure is the latest year the World Bank reports for that economy. The index regenerates automatically as new data is released.

Can I download this ranking?

Yes — the full ranking is available as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.

Glossary

Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth (years) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗
World Bank Open Data
A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗
Purchasing-power parity (PPP)
A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗
Nominal (current US$)
A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗
GNI per capita
Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗
Reference year
The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗
Region aggregate
A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗

How to cite this report

APA

Affärslivet Research. (2026). Life Expectancy by Country 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.1. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/life-expectancy-by-country

MLA

Affärslivet Research. "Life Expectancy by Country 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/life-expectancy-by-country.

BibTeX

@techreport{affarslivet_life_expectancy_by_country,
  title  = {Life Expectancy by Country 2026},
  author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {Version 1.1},
  url    = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/life-expectancy-by-country}
}

Sources