Life expectancy in Asia 2023

In Asia, the highest levels of life expectancy were found in East Asia, reaching 76 years for men and 82 years for women. The lowest levels were found in South Asia.

What is life expectancy

Life expectancy is, in the statistical sense, the number of years to be lived. It is the most common measure to describe population health. The life expectancy is an average and a person may die several years before or several years after their expected survival.

Economic circumstances also affect life expectancy. Life expectancy in the wealthiest countries is higher than in the poorest areas. With a life expectancy of 84 years, Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and South Korea lead the ranking of the 20 countries with the highest life expectancy as of 2021. The countries with the lowest life expectancy in 2021 were Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho.

Gender and life expectancy

The gender differences in life expectancy are significant. Women tend to live several years longer than men. The average life expectancy worldwide of those born in 2023 shows that women had an average life expectancy of 75 years at birth, while men were expected to live 70 years.

Average life expectancy in Asia for those born in 2023, by gender and region (in years)

Characteristic	Males	Females
East Asia	76	82
Western Asia	72	77
Asia (total)	72	76
Central Asia	70	76
Southeast Asia	72	75
South Asia	68	71

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Release date

December 2023

More information

Region

Asia

Survey time period

mid-2023

Supplementary notes

Average life expectancy of a newborn according to the current mortality rate.

According to the source the data from the above statistic originates from official statistical yearbooks and bulletins of the particular country. Moreover, publications of the United Nations, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Population Division) of the UN and the U.S. Census Bureau serve as data sources. Further sources are recent demographic studies, special studies and direct interviews with demographers and inquiries at statistical offices of the U.S. and other countries.

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