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Healthy life expectancy
What this indicator measures
Number of years a newborn could expect to live in good health, that is, not counting years lived with a significant illness or disability. Both sexes are counted together (WHO estimate).
How to read this?
A value of 65 means one can expect to live about 65 years in good health, with the rest of life lived with health limitations.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
The "Healthy life expectancy" ranking covers 183 countries and territories. Lowest value: Central African Republic (44.7 yrs). Highest value: Singapore (72.9 yrs). Median: 63.8 yrs (data: 2023). The top 10% of countries exceed 69.8 yrs, while the bottom 10% stay below 55.2 yrs. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (68.3 yrs) and lowest in Africa (56.4 yrs).
Median by continent
- Europe 68.3 yrs (39)
- Asia 65.1 yrs (46)
- South America 65 yrs (12)
- North America 63.5 yrs (22)
- Oceania 59.2 yrs (10)
- Africa 56.4 yrs (51)
Why this indicator matters
Living long is not enough: what also matters is the number of years without significant illness or disability. This indicator complements ordinary life expectancy.
What makes this indicator vary
It depends on prevention, quality of care, chronic diseases, diet, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol and accidents.
Reading precautions
It is a WHO estimate based on models and surveys whose precision varies. It is not available for all countries and does not describe each individual.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 72.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 2e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 72.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 3e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 72 yrs | 2023 |
| 4e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 71.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 5e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 71.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 5e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 71.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 5e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 71.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 8e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 71 yrs | 2023 |
| 9e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 70.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 10e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 70.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 11e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 70.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 12e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 70.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 12e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 70.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 14e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 70.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 14e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 70.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 16e | 🇫🇷 France | 70 yrs | 2023 |
| 17e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 69.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 17e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 69.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 19e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 69.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 19e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 69.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 19e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 69.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 22e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 69.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 23e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 69.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 23e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 69.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 25e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 69.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 26e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 69.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 27e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 69.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 28e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 69.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 29e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 69 yrs | 2023 |
| 30e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 68.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 31e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 68.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 32e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 68.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 33e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 68.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 34e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 68.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 34e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 68.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 36e | 🇨🇳 China | 68 yrs | 2023 |
| 36e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 68 yrs | 2023 |
| 36e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 68 yrs | 2023 |
| 39e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 67.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 40e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 67.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 40e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 67.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 42e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 67.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 43e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 67.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 44e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 67.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 44e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 67.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 46e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 67.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 47e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 67.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 47e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 67.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 47e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 67.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 50e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 66.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 51e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 66.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 51e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 66.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 51e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 66.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 54e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 66.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 55e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 66.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 55e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 66.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 55e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 66.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 55e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 66.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 59e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 66.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 59e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 66.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 61e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 66.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 61e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 66.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 61e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 66.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 64e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 66.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 64e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 66.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 66e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 66 yrs | 2023 |
| 66e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 66 yrs | 2023 |
| 66e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 66 yrs | 2023 |
| 66e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 66 yrs | 2023 |
| 70e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 65.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 71e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 65.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 72e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 65.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 72e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 65.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 74e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 65.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 74e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 65.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 76e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 65.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 76e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 65.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 78e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 65.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 78e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 65.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 80e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 65 yrs | 2023 |
| 80e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 65 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇺🇸 United States | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 82e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 64.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 89e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 64.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 90e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 64 yrs | 2023 |
| 91e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 63.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 91e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 63.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 91e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 63.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 94e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 63.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 95e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 63.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 96e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 63.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 96e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 63.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 98e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 63.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 99e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 63 yrs | 2023 |
| 100e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 62.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 101e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 62.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 101e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 62.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 101e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 62.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 104e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 62.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 105e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 62.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 105e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 62.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 107e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 62.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 107e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 62.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 109e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 62.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 110e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 62.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 111e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 62 yrs | 2023 |
| 112e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 61.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 112e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 61.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 114e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 61.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 114e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 61.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 116e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 61.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 117e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 61.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 117e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 61.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 119e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 61.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 119e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 61.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 121e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 61.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 122e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 61.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 123e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 60.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 124e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 60.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 125e | 🇮🇳 India | 60.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 125e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 60.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 127e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 60.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 127e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 60.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 129e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 60 yrs | 2023 |
| 130e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 59.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 131e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 59.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 132e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 59.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 133e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 59.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 134e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 59.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 135e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 59.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 136e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 59 yrs | 2023 |
| 137e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 58.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 137e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 58.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 139e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 58.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 140e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 58.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 140e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 58.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 142e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 58.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 142e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 58.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 144e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 57.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 145e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 57.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 146e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 57.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 147e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 57.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 148e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 57.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 149e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 57.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 150e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 56.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 151e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 56.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 152e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 56.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 152e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 56.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 152e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 56.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 152e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 56.4 yrs | 2023 |
| 156e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 56.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 156e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 56.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 158e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 56 yrs | 2023 |
| 159e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 55.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 160e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 55.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 160e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 55.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 162e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 55.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 163e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 55.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 164e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 55.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 164e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 55.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 166e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 55 yrs | 2023 |
| 167e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 54.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 168e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 54.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 168e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 54.2 yrs | 2023 |
| 170e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 54.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 171e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 53.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 172e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 53.3 yrs | 2023 |
| 173e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 53.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 173e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 53.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 175e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 52.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 175e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 52.8 yrs | 2023 |
| 177e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 52.7 yrs | 2023 |
| 178e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 52.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 179e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 52.5 yrs | 2023 |
| 180e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 51.1 yrs | 2023 |
| 181e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 48.6 yrs | 2023 |
| 182e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 47.9 yrs | 2023 |
| 183e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 44.7 yrs | 2023 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Healthy life expectancy"?
The highest value is in Singapore, at 72.9 yrs (2023).
Which country has the lowest value for "Healthy life expectancy"?
The lowest value is in Central African Republic, at 44.7 yrs (2023).
What is the world median value of "Healthy life expectancy"?
The world median is 63.8 yrs, calculated across 183 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Healthy life expectancy" for France?
France scores 70 yrs (2023), ranking 16 out of 183 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Healthy life expectancy" data come from?
It comes from OMS – Global Health Observatory (espérance de vie en bonne santé à la naissance). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
How does it differ from life expectancy?
Life expectancy counts all years lived. Healthy life expectancy subtracts the years lived with an illness or disability, weighted by severity.
Why is it shorter than life expectancy?
Because the end of life often includes years with health problems. The gap indicates the average time lived with limitations.
Source and update
Source : OMS – Global Health Observatory (espérance de vie en bonne santé à la naissance). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Births, deaths and life expectancy
- Birth rateNumber of live births in a year, per 1,000 inhabitants. It depends both on the number of children per woman and on the share of women of childbearing age.
- Death rateNumber of deaths in a year, per 1,000 inhabitants. This "crude" rate depends heavily on the age of the population: a very old country can have a high rate despite good care.
- Life expectancy at birthNumber of years a newborn would live on average if the risks of death at each age stayed those observed in the year in question. Both sexes are counted together.
- Female life expectancy at birthNumber of years a girl born this year would live on average if the risks of death at each age stayed those observed in the year in question.
- Male life expectancy at birthNumber of years a boy born this year would live on average if the risks of death at each age stayed those observed in the year in question.
- Children per womanAverage number of children a woman would have over her lifetime if, at each age, she had the fertility observed that year (total fertility rate). About 2.1 keeps the population stable without migration.
- Population growthAnnual change in the total population, as a percentage. It combines births, deaths and migration. A negative value means the population is shrinking.
- Infant mortalityNumber of children who die before their first birthday, per 1,000 live births (estimate from the UN Inter-agency Group).
- Under-5 mortalityProbability of dying before the age of 5, expressed per 1,000 live births (estimate from the UN Inter-agency Group).
- Suicide rateNumber of suicide deaths in a year, per 100,000 inhabitants, age-adjusted to allow comparison between countries (WHO estimate). Both sexes are counted together.
- Female suicide rateNumber of suicide deaths among women in a year, per 100,000 women, age-adjusted to allow comparison between countries (WHO estimate).
- Male suicide rateNumber of suicide deaths among men in a year, per 100,000 men, age-adjusted to allow comparison between countries (WHO estimate).
- Road traffic deathsEstimated number of people killed in road accidents in a year, per 100,000 inhabitants. The figures are WHO estimates, not only deaths recorded by the police.