Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa
South Africa: Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 was 67.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: United Nations Population Division (World Population Prospects), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 67.7% for share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa peaked at 69.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 43.8%, in 2005.
South Africa ranks 192nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.4% | — |
| 1961 | 50.4% | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 51.1% | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 51.7% | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 52.2% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 52.5% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 53.0% | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 53.5% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 53.9% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 54.3% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 54.7% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 55.2% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 55.6% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 56.6% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 57.3% | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 58.0% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 59.0% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 59.8% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 60.6% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 61.5% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 62.3% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 63.1% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 63.9% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 64.7% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 65.5% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 66.1% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 67.2% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 67.4% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 67.3% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 67.3% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 66.8% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 66.1% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 64.9% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 63.1% | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 61.7% | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 59.9% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 58.3% | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 56.5% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 54.9% | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 52.0% | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 48.7% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 46.1% | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 44.6% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 43.8% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 44.2% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 45.7% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 47.6% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 50.1% | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 52.8% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 55.8% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 58.5% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 60.2% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 61.9% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 63.1% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 64.3% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 65.4% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 66.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 67.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 64.2% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 58.4% | -9.0% |
| 2022 | 67.8% | +16.0% |
| 2023 | 69.1% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 67.7% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.2% | 49.4% | 54.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.3% | 54.7% | 60.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.8% | 61.5% | 67.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.2% | 56.5% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.8% | 43.8% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.5% | 52.8% | 67.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.4% | 58.4% | 69.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 189 Cameroon 68.3% compare
- 190 Guinea-Bissau 68.3% compare
- 191 Congo 68.2% compare
- 193 Equatorial Guinea 67.1% compare
- 194 Madagascar 67.1% compare
- 195 Burundi 66.7% compare
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 588,323 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 594,743 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 603,304 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa?
- Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 in South Africa was 67.7% in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division (World Population Prospects), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 69.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.8% in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for share of women expected to survive to the age of 65?
- South Africa ranks 192nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women expected to survive to the age of 65 rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division (World Population Prospects), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women expected to survive to the age of 65. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This measure shows the share newborns that would survive to the age of 65, if subject to age-specific death rates in a given year.