World Life Expectancy
A child born in 2024 could expect to live 73.5 years on the world average, versus 73.3 years a year earlier.
Updated July 12, 2026
World Life Expectancy
years at birth, world averageDownload this statistic
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How this statistic is built
DefinitionLife expectancy at birth for the world: the years a newborn would live if current age-specific mortality rates stayed constant over its lifetime.
LimitationsA period measure, not a cohort forecast — actual lifespans will differ as mortality changes. Recent years rely on UN estimates where national registration is incomplete.
Frequently Asked Questions
A child born in 2024 could expect to live 73.5 years on the world average, versus 73.3 years a year earlier.
World Life Expectancy rose 0.3% compared with 2023, reaching 2024's reading.
World Bank — World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN), World aggregate. License: CC BY 4.0. StatsPanda charts the original series directly and cites it on every download.
The underlying series is released on a annual cadence. This page was last updated July 12, 2026, and refreshes with each source release.