The 15 countries with the highest life expectancies — and the 15 with the lowest

Jeanne Calment was the oldest verified person to have ever lived, passing away at 122.

Despite Calment's extraordinary longevity, her home country, France, ranks 19th in the world for average life expectancy.

The World Bank Group collected data on life expectancy at birth by country through 2024. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns remain the same throughout their life.

The countries ranked highest tend to be wealthier, with robust healthcare systems and lower rates of early-life mortality.

Meanwhile, the countries with the lowest life expectancy are all located in Africa, which often faces disease, malnutrition, and conflict. High mortality among infants and children and healthcare shortages on the continent significantly lower the life expectancy at birth.

The US ranked 47th in the dataset, with an average life expectancy of 78.9 years.

The World Bank Group used statistics from sources such as the United Nations and national statistical office databases. Business Insider did not include autonomous regions and territories listed in the data.

The average life expectancy estimates for 2024 are based on data interpolated across five-year periods, so they may not reflect events that occurred in that year and affected mortality rates, such as a conflict or famine.

See the 15 countries with the highest life expectancy, followed by the 15 with the lowest.