In 2025, female life expectancy at birth in South Africa was 70.0 years, up from 69.8 years in 2024. Explore the historical series and compare South Africa with other economies below.
Life expectancy at birth: females
Average years of life for females
South Africa
Year
Years
2025
70.0
2024
69.8
2023
69.6
2022
69.0
2021
64.8
2020
67.9
2019
69.2
2018
68.9
2017
68.6
2016
67.9
2015
67.0
2014
66.2
2013
65.2
2012
64.4
2011
63.1
2010
61.2
2009
59.7
2008
58.1
2007
56.9
2006
55.9
2005
55.5
2004
55.8
2003
56.3
2002
57.7
2001
59.5
2000
61.1
How South Africa compares
Life expectancy at birth: females compared with other countries
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Life expectancy at birth: females
About this indicator
Female life expectancy at birth represents the average number of years a newborn girl is expected to live, assuming that current mortality conditions remain the same throughout her life. Because we cannot know future death rates in advance, this indicator uses a "snapshot" of today’s conditions to estimate lifespan. If healthcare and living standards continue to improve over time, actual lifespans will likely be higher than this current estimate.
Sources and updates
Data sources
The data for this indicator are drawn from the United Nations World Population Prospects.
Last update
This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.