Papua New Guinea vs South Africa: Life Expectancy at Birth

Papua New Guinea
66.26
in 2024
South Africa
66.31
in 2024
Papua New Guinea rank
184th
South Africa rank
182nd

Life Expectancy at Birth over time

  • Papua New Guinea
  • South Africa
0204060196019922024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 66.31 against 66.26 in Papua New Guinea, a difference of 0.05.

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

Papua New Guinea ranks 184th and South Africa ranks 182nd of 216 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Papua New Guinea averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Papua New Guinea South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 48.61 54.21 5.6 South Africa
1970s 54.63 57.44 2.81 South Africa
1980s 58.61 61.78 3.17 South Africa
1990s 60.64 61.58 0.9393 South Africa
2000s 61.98 55.58 6.4 Papua New Guinea
2010s 64.27 63.28 0.9925 Papua New Guinea
2020s 65.42 65.01 0.4064 Papua New Guinea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher life expectancy at birth, Papua New Guinea or South Africa?
South Africa, at 66.31 against 66.26 in Papua New Guinea as of 2024.
What is the difference in life expectancy at birth between Papua New Guinea and South Africa?
0.05, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Papua New Guinea and South Africa?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do Papua New Guinea and South Africa rank globally for life expectancy at birth?
Papua New Guinea ranks 184th 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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Papua New Guinea vs South Africa: Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/life-expectancy-at-birth/papua-new-guinea/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.