Life expectancy at birth — all countries

Life expectancy at birth — Western Africa

Life expectancy at birth in Western Africa in 2024 — 58.7 years. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 55.8%.

2024 58.7 years +0.33% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 58.7 years2024
Period minimum 37.7 years1960

Trend over time

1960–2024 · years

Life expectancy at birth — Western Africa, 1960–20243040506019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 37.7 years1962: 38.2 years1964: 38.6 years1966: 39.1 years1968: 39.6 years1970: 40.6 years1972: 41.7 years1974: 42.8 years1976: 44.3 years1978: 45.5 years1980: 46.3 years1982: 47 years1984: 47.3 years1986: 47.5 years1988: 47.8 years1990: 48 years1992: 48.2 years1994: 48.5 years1996: 48.8 years1998: 49.2 years2000: 50.1 years2002: 51 years2004: 52 years2006: 52.9 years2008: 53.8 years2010: 54.6 years2012: 55.2 years2014: 55.7 years2016: 56.2 years2018: 56.8 years2020: 57.2 years2022: 58.1 years2024: 58.7 years
Change over the period: +21.1 (+55.85%) Average annual rate: 0.7 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Africa

Western Africa 58.7 years
World 73.5 years
Life expectancy at birth — Western Africa, by year Western Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year years Change Change, %
2024 58.7 +0.2 +0.33%
2023 58.5 +0.4 +0.73%
2022 58.1 +0.8 +1.39%
2021 57.3 +0.2 +0.27%
2020 57.2 −0 −0.01%
2019 57.2 +0.3 +0.6%
2018 56.8 +0.3 +0.58%
2017 56.5 +0.3 +0.51%
2016 56.2 +0.4 +0.64%
2015 55.9 +0.2 +0.34%
2014 55.7 +0.2 +0.43%
2013 55.4 +0.3 +0.49%
2012 55.2 +0.3 +0.53%
2011 54.9 +0.3 +0.56%
2010 54.6 +0.3 +0.61%
2009 54.2 +0.4 +0.73%
2008 53.8 +0.4 +0.81%
2007 53.4 +0.5 +0.96%
2006 52.9 +0.4 +0.84%
2005 52.5 +0.5 +0.89%
2004 52 +0.6 +1.08%
2003 51.4 +0.5 +0.95%
2002 51 +0.5 +0.9%
2001 50.5 +0.4 +0.78%
2000 50.1 +0.5 +1.04%
1999 49.6 +0.4 +0.78%
1998 49.2 +0.2 +0.45%
1997 49 +0.2 +0.44%
1996 48.8 +0.1 +0.23%
1995 48.7 +0.2 +0.41%
1994 48.5 +0 +0.07%
1993 48.4 +0.2 +0.42%
1992 48.2 +0.2 +0.39%
1991 48 +0 +0.1%
1990 48 +0 +0.02%
1989 48 +0.1 +0.29%
1988 47.8 +0.1 +0.31%
1987 47.7 +0.2 +0.33%
1986 47.5 +0.1 +0.18%
1985 47.5 +0.1 +0.22%
1984 47.3 +0.2 +0.33%
1983 47.2 +0.2 +0.46%
1982 47 +0.3 +0.61%
1981 46.7 +0.4 +0.84%
1980 46.3 +0.4 +0.8%
1979 45.9 +0.5 +1.05%
1978 45.5 +0.6 +1.23%
1977 44.9 +0.6 +1.44%
1976 44.3 +0.9 +2.04%
1975 43.4 +0.6 +1.36%
1974 42.8 +0.6 +1.46%
1973 42.2 +0.5 +1.25%
1972 41.7 +0.6 +1.46%
1971 41.1 +0.5 +1.12%
1970 40.6 +0.7 +1.82%
1969 39.9 +0.3 +0.79%
1968 39.6 +0.7 +1.91%
1967 38.8 −0.3 −0.76%
1966 39.1 +0.2 +0.53%
1965 38.9 +0.3 +0.69%
1964 38.6 +0.2 +0.6%
1963 38.4 +0.2 +0.6%
1962 38.2 +0.2 +0.62%
1961 37.9 +0.3 +0.68%
1960 37.7

About the indicator

Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates stayed the same as in the year of calculation. It is not a forecast for any individual but a summary measure of the current mortality regime: the indicator falls sharply in years of epidemics and wars and recovers just as fast.

Important: The indicator is highly sensitive to infant mortality: a decline there adds more years than an improvement in the health of the elderly.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.