Life expectancy at birth, both sexes, from the UN World Population Prospects 2024 (the 2023 estimates). The ranking covers sovereign states only, so Monaco and San Marino lead, and non-sovereign territories such as Hong Kong are left out.
Pictured: Monaco (video thumbnail from a travel film, “MONACO: A Perfect Day Trip”), #1 with a life expectancy of 86.4 years.
Rank
Country
Life expectancy (years)
Female
Male
Region
1
Monaco
86.4
88.5
84.4
Europe
2
San Marino
85.7
87.1
84.2
Europe
3
Japan
84.7
87.7
81.7
Asia
4
South Korea
84.3
87.2
81.2
Asia
5
Andorra
84.0
86.1
82.1
Europe
6
Switzerland
84.0
85.8
82.0
Europe
7
Australia
83.9
85.7
82.1
Oceania
8
Singapore
83.7
86.2
81.2
Asia
9
Italy
83.7
85.8
81.6
Europe
10
Spain
83.7
86.3
81.0
Europe
11
Liechtenstein
83.6
85.3
81.8
Europe
No matching rows.
Source and scope: every figure is a modeled UN estimate for 2023 (the last year of observed data in the 2024 revision), rounded to one decimal; they are not national statistics, so a country’s own figure can differ.[1] Only UN member states are ranked. The UN table also covers territories that would otherwise place high, including Hong Kong SAR (about 85.5 years, which would be #2) and French Polynesia (about 84.1); they are excluded because they are not sovereign states. The list stops at 11 because the next group (France, Malta, Norway, Sweden) is separated by hundredths of a year, within the model’s margin of error. A second source, the World Bank, uses a different series and gives somewhat different values, for example Japan at 84.0 and Liechtenstein at 84.8, so close neighbours can swap places between sources.[12]
The Top 10
#1
Monaco — 86.4 years
Monaco tops the UN table with a female life expectancy of 88.5 years, the highest of any sovereign state listed here.[2] Researchers usually point to its wealth, universal access to care and a population in which a large share of residents are older, affluent and highly health-conscious; the principality has almost no poverty and a very small land area with excellent medical access. Because it has fewer than 40,000 people, its estimate swings more from year to year than a large country’s.[2]
#2
San Marino — 85.7 years
San Marino, a landlocked republic surrounded by Italy and among the world’s oldest surviving states, sits second with 85.7 years (84.2 for men, 87.1 for women).[2] Its Mediterranean diet, small tight-knit communities and good access to Italian-standard health care are the usual explanations, and it is the second microstate in the top three that the UN counts as a full member.[3] Its historic centre and Mount Titano are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3]
#3
Japan — 84.7 years
Japan is the highest-ranked large country at 84.7 years, with women at 87.7, the highest female figure in the top ten after Monaco’s.[2] Researchers credit a diet low in red meat and high in fish, vegetables and soy, low obesity rates, universal health insurance with regular screening, and strong daily walking habits.[4] Japan also has roughly 100,000 centenarians, the highest rate among large countries.[4]
#4
South Korea — 84.3 years
South Korea’s life expectancy climbed from about 66 in 1970 to above 84 in 2023, one of the fastest gains ever recorded.[2] Universal national health insurance, rapid economic growth, widespread cancer screening and low smoking among women are commonly cited, and Korean women (87.2 years) now live more than six years longer than men (81.2).[5]
#5
Andorra — 84.0 years
Andorra, a Pyrenean country of about 80,000 people, records 84.0 years overall and 86.1 for women.[2] Its residents enjoy an active mountain lifestyle, Catalan-style Mediterranean eating and a health system funded by social security, though a high share of residents are foreign-born adults who arrive healthy, which can flatter the average.[6]
#6
Switzerland — 84.0 years
Switzerland is the only country in the top six that is not a microstate or in East Asia, with 84.0 years overall.[2] Mandatory health insurance, high incomes, and an active, walking-and-hiking culture are the usual reasons, and Swiss national statistics report record-high lifespans for 2023.[7]
#7
Australia — 83.9 years
Australia leads the English-speaking world and the Southern Hemisphere with 83.9 years, and its men (82.1) live longer than those in any non-microstate in the table.[2] Medicare coverage, low smoking rates after decades of tobacco control, high rates of outdoor exercise and sun-protection campaigns are credited for its low death rates from heart disease and many cancers.[8]
#8
Singapore — 83.7 years
Singapore reached 83.7 years in 2023 (86.2 for women), despite having been a low-income country in the 1960s.[2] A compulsory savings and insurance system (Medisave), strong preventive screening, low crime and traffic deaths, and a dense, walkable city with excellent hospitals are the main factors; the city-state’s own statistics office reports slightly different residents-only figures.[9]
#9
Italy — 83.7 years
Italy’s 83.7 years (85.8 for women, 81.6 for men) hides a regional picture: northern and central regions, and the island of Sardinia, report some of the longest-lived populations.[2] The Mediterranean diet, olive oil, strong family ties and a universal national health service are the standard explanations, though Italy’s own ISTAT figure for 2023 (83.0) is lower than the UN estimate.[10]
#10
Spain — 83.7 years
Spain’s 83.7 years rests on a female figure of 86.3, the fifth highest in the top ten, while its male figure (81.0) is the lowest of the ten.[2] The Mediterranean diet, a public health system with universal coverage, low rates of heart disease and a social life built around walking and shared meals are commonly credited; Spain’s INE reports a very similar 83.8 for 2023.[11]
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, “World Population Prospects 2024” (life expectancy at birth, both sexes, female and male, 2023 estimates), as reproduced in the UN WPP-based tables of Wikipedia’s country life-expectancy lists, Our World in Data and Georank; population.un.org/wpp.
UN WPP 2024 country values via Visual Capitalist, “Ranked: Top 25 Countries With the Highest Life Expectancy”, and StatRanker, “Top 100 Countries by Life Expectancy” (used to check the overall order).
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano”; Our World in Data and Worldometer, San Marino demographic profiles.
World Economic Forum, “Want to live a long, healthy life? 6 secrets from Japan’s oldest people” (2021); Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare life tables.
Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) and KOSIS life tables for 2023; Statista, South Korea life expectancy by gender.
The Borgen Project, “10 Facts about Life Expectancy in Andorra”; Our World in Data, Andorra health profile.
SWI swissinfo.ch, “Swiss people have never lived as long as in 2023”; Federal Statistical Office of Switzerland.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Life expectancy 2022–2024”; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, “Deaths in Australia”.
Singapore Department of Statistics, “Complete Life Tables for Singapore Resident Population 2023–2024” press release (May 2025).
ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) 2023 life expectancy; Wikipedia, “List of Italian provinces by life expectancy”.
Spain National Statistics Institute (INE), “Vital Statistics / Basic Demographic Indicators, Year 2023”.
World Bank, “Life expectancy at birth, total (years)” for 2023, via Statista and TheDataInsider rankings (cross-check). Rows 6–11: Georank and Wikipedia UN-based country pages for Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, Italy, Spain and Liechtenstein.
