Key points from the chart
- The Statista chart lists 30 countries and territories with the highest life expectancy at birth for those born in 2023, for women and men separately, using Population Reference Bureau data.
- Monaco is first for both sexes, with 89 years for females and 84 for males. PRB gives Monaco 87 years for both sexes combined [2].
- South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan and San Marino follow with 87 years for females.
- Women outlive men in every country on the chart, by 2 years in Liechtenstein and Qatar up to 6 years in South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Spain and Portugal.
- For comparison, PRB’s world figure is 72 years, 70 for males and 75 for females [2].
Life expectancy by country 2023 in text
Title: Countries with the highest average life expectancy for those born in 2023, by gender (in years). Each country has two bars, dark blue for females and light blue for males, sorted by female life expectancy. Axis: Life expectancy in years, 0 to 100. Source: Population Reference Bureau, © Statista 2024. Additional information: Worldwide; 2023.
| Country or territory | Females (years) | Males (years) | Gap (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco | 89 | 84 | 5 |
| Korea, South | 87 | 81 | 6 |
| China, Hong Kong SAR | 87 | 81 | 6 |
| China, Macao SAR | 87 | 81 | 6 |
| Japan | 87 | 81 | 6 |
| San Marino | 87 | 83 | 4 |
| Spain | 86 | 80 | 6 |
| Malta | 86 | 82 | 4 |
| Israel | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| Singapore | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| Australia | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| Liechtenstein | 85 | 83 | 2 |
| Sweden | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| Switzerland | 85 | 82 | 3 |
| Luxembourg | 85 | 80 | 5 |
| Italy | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| New Zealand | 84 | 81 | 3 |
| Belgium | 84 | 80 | 4 |
| Ireland | 84 | 81 | 3 |
| Norway | 84 | 80 | 4 |
| Austria | 84 | 79 | 5 |
| Iceland | 84 | 81 | 3 |
| Portugal | 84 | 78 | 6 |
| Cyprus | 84 | 80 | 4 |
| Canada | 84 | 80 | 4 |
| Denmark | 83 | 79 | 4 |
| Qatar | 83 | 81 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 83 | 80 | 3 |
| Germany | 83 | 78 | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 83 | 79 | 4 |
What life expectancy at birth means
The World Health Organization defines life expectancy as the average number of years a person could expect to live if they passed through life exposed to the death rates by age and sex prevailing at the time, for a given year and place [3]. PRB’s data sheet uses the same idea: the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live under current mortality rates [2].
That makes it a summary of current death rates, not a forecast. A baby born in Monaco in 2023 is not guaranteed 89 years. The figure says what would happen if 2023 mortality rates stayed the same throughout that child’s life.
How the chart compares with PRB’s data sheet
The values on the chart match PRB’s 2023 World Population Data Sheet for the entries we checked. PRB lists Monaco at 84 years for males and 89 for females, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong at 81 and 87, Liechtenstein at 83 and 85, Spain at 80 and 86, and the United Kingdom at 79 and 83 [2]. PRB also gives the combined figure for both sexes: 87 for Monaco, 85 for San Marino and 84 for Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Switzerland and Liechtenstein [2].
Most entries are in Europe or East Asia. The others are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Singapore and Qatar. The United States is not on it. PRB gives the United States 76 years overall, 73 for males and 79 for females [2].
Notes on this infographic
- Not a complete top 30. Several places with the same or higher female life expectancy in PRB’s data sheet are missing, including Andorra (86), France and Taiwan (85) and Finland (84) [2]. The chart is best read as a selection of high life expectancy countries rather than a strict ranking.
- Sorted by females. The order follows female life expectancy, so San Marino, with the second highest male figure (83), sits sixth.
- Whole years. PRB rounds to whole years, so countries shown with the same figure may differ by up to a year.
- Asterisks. Hong Kong and Macao carry asterisks with no footnote on the chart. They are Special Administrative Regions of China rather than countries.
Questions about life expectancy by country
Which country has the highest life expectancy?
Monaco, on this chart and in PRB’s 2023 data sheet. A child born there in 2023 could expect to live about 87 years on average, 89 for females and 84 for males [2]. Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao are next for women at 87 years.
What is the highest life expectancy in the world?
The highest figure on the chart is 89 years, for females born in Monaco in 2023. The highest male figure is 84 years, also in Monaco [2]. The world average was 72 years [2].
How much longer do women live than men?
Women outlive men in every country on the chart, by 2 years in Liechtenstein and Qatar up to 6 years in South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Spain and Portugal. These figures are for those born in 2023. Worldwide, PRB gives life expectancy at birth as 75 years for females and 70 for males [2].
What is life expectancy in the United States?
PRB gives the United States a life expectancy at birth of 76 years overall in 2023, 73 for males and 79 for females [2]. The United States is not on the chart. The lowest entry shown, the United Kingdom, has 83 years for females and 79 for males, and PRB's world figure is 72 years [2].
Sources
- Statista, Countries with the highest average life expectancy for those born in 2023, by gender (the chart itself, based on Population Reference Bureau data).
- Population Reference Bureau, 2023 World Population Data Sheet (resource page).
- World Health Organization, Life expectancy at birth (years), indicator details.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
