Afghanistan vs South Africa: Life Expectancy at Birth

Afghanistan
66.29
in 2024
South Africa
66.31
in 2024
Afghanistan rank
183rd
South Africa rank
182nd

Life Expectancy at Birth over time

  • Afghanistan
  • South Africa
0204060196019922024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 66.31 against 66.29 in Afghanistan, a difference of 0.02.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 183rd and South Africa ranks 182nd of 216 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Afghanistan South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 34.9 54.21 19.31 South Africa
1970s 39.28 57.44 18.17 South Africa
1980s 37.98 61.78 23.8 South Africa
1990s 50.44 61.58 11.14 South Africa
2000s 57.74 55.58 2.16 Afghanistan
2010s 62.08 63.28 1.2 South Africa
2020s 63.96 65.01 1.05 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher life expectancy at birth, Afghanistan or South Africa?
South Africa, at 66.31 against 66.29 in Afghanistan as of 2024.
What is the difference in life expectancy at birth between Afghanistan and South Africa?
0.02, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and South Africa?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do Afghanistan and South Africa rank globally for life expectancy at birth?
Afghanistan ranks 183rd and South Africa ranks 182nd of 216 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Monetary Fund, published as Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs South Africa: Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/life-expectancy-at-birth/afghanistan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Life Expectancy at Birth
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
217 places, 14,065 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.