In 2025, male life expectancy at birth in South Africa was 63.0 years, up from 62.8 years in 2024. Explore the historical series and compare South Africa with other economies below.
Life expectancy at birth: males
Average years of life for males
South Africa
Year
Years
2025
63.0
2024
62.8
2023
62.6
2022
61.8
2021
59.2
2020
62.2
2019
62.7
2018
62.3
2017
62.0
2016
61.3
2015
60.8
2014
59.9
2013
59.2
2012
58.7
2011
57.7
2010
56.2
2009
54.8
2008
53.5
2007
52.7
2006
52.2
2005
52.1
2004
51.9
2003
52.0
2002
53.2
2001
54.6
2000
55.4
How South Africa compares
Life expectancy at birth: males compared with other countries
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Life expectancy at birth: males
About this indicator
Male life expectancy at birth represents the average number of years a newborn boy is expected to live, assuming that current mortality conditions remain the same throughout his 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.