Life Expectancy at Birth in India
India: Life Expectancy at Birth was 72.23 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life Expectancy at Birth in India, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in India is 72.23, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in India peaked at 72.23 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45.56, in 1965.
That places India 137th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life Expectancy at Birth in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 45.61 | — |
| 1961 | 45.82 | +0.5% |
| 1962 | 46.13 | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 46.46 | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 46.74 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 45.56 | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 45.88 | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 46.18 | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 47.92 | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 48.26 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 48.59 | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 48.9 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 49.21 | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 49.64 | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 50.26 | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 50.76 | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 51.3 | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 51.82 | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 52.42 | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 53.01 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 53.59 | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 54.17 | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 54.73 | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 55.28 | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 55.81 | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 56.32 | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 56.82 | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 57.29 | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 57.74 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 58.2 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 58.62 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 59.03 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 59.45 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 59.82 | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 60.24 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 60.63 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 61.03 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 61.44 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 61.85 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 62.28 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 62.75 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 63.16 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 63.65 | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 64.09 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 64.48 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 64.94 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 65.37 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 65.8 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 66.25 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 66.7 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 67.16 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.62 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 68.08 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 68.5 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 68.93 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 69.33 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 69.71 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 70.07 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 70.42 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 70.75 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 70.16 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 67.28 | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 71.7 | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 72 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 72.23 | +0.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 72.23 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.85, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 72.23 is below the median for South Asia, which is 74.1, 97% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.46 | 45.56 | 48.26 | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.59 | 48.59 | 53.01 | 10 |
| 1980s | 56 | 53.59 | 58.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.44 | 58.62 | 62.28 | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.72 | 62.75 | 66.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.06 | 67.16 | 70.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.67 | 67.28 | 72.23 | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 134 Mongolia 72.4 compare
- 135 El Salvador 72.3 compare
- 136 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.28 compare
- 138 Tajikistan 71.93 compare
- 139 Samoa 71.83 compare
- 140 Egypt 71.81 compare
More gender data for India
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 341,454 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.18 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.18 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 10.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 11.71 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 10.92 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 11.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 10.89 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in India?
- Life expectancy at birth in India was 72.23 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 72.23 in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.56 in 1965.
- How does India rank for life expectancy at birth?
- India ranks 137th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.