Life Expectancy by Continent (2026)
Life expectancy by continent shows how long people live on average across different parts of the world. In 2026, the gap between continents remains significant, with Europe and Oceania generally recording higher life expectancy, while Africa continues to face the lowest average lifespan. On this page, you can explore life expectancy by continent through an interactive map, continent comparison cards, a full data table, and a donut chart to quickly see which regions have the longest and shortest average life expectancy.
See Also:
Life Expectancy by Continent Rankings 2026
| # | Continent | Life Expectancy (Both Sexes) | Countries | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🌍Europe |
80.79 | 47 | Years |
| 2 | 🌎North America |
76.78 | 40 | Years |
| 3 | 🌏Asia |
76.28 | 51 | Years |
| 4 | 🌎South America |
76.24 | 14 | Years |
| 5 | 🌊Oceania |
73.38 | 23 | Years |
| 6 | 🌍Africa |
66.89 | 58 | Years |
Key Findings
Continents with Highest Life Expectancy
- Europe and Oceania generally rank among the continents with the highest average life expectancy in 2026.
- These regions benefit from stronger healthcare systems, higher incomes, lower infant mortality, and better access to medical services.
Continent with Lowest Life Expectancy
- Africa has the lowest average life expectancy among the continents.
- Lower longevity is often linked to poverty, infectious disease, food insecurity, weak healthcare access, and limited public health infrastructure.
Asia Shows the Widest Gap
- Asia includes some of the world’s longest-living countries, such as Japan and South Korea.
- At the same time, several lower-income Asian countries have shorter lifespans, creating a wide regional gap.
Regional Health Differences Remain Large
- Life expectancy varies widely between continents because healthcare, income, sanitation, education, and disease burden differ across regions.
- Higher-income regions usually record longer average lifespans, while regions facing conflict or poverty often remain lower.
Women Usually Live Longer Than Men
- Across most continents, female life expectancy is higher than male life expectancy.
- This gap is influenced by biological factors, lifestyle differences, occupational risks, and preventable health conditions.
Life Expectancy Comparison by Continent
The donut chart below shows how average life expectancy is distributed across the world’s continents. It offers a quick visual comparison of regional lifespan levels and makes it easier to spot which continents are leading and which are lagging behind.
Life Expectancy by Continent
About Life Expectancy by Continent
Life expectancy by continent shows the average number of years a person is expected to live in each major world region. It is a useful way to compare broad health outcomes across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania. Differences in life expectancy between continents are often linked to healthcare quality, income levels, nutrition, sanitation, infant mortality, and overall living standards. While Europe and Oceania generally record higher life expectancy, Africa remains the lowest on average, highlighting major global differences in health and development.
Definitions & Methodology
What is life expectancy by continent?
Life expectancy by continent shows the average number of years people are expected to live across each major world region based on current mortality patterns.
How are continent rankings calculated?
Continent-level rankings are based on country-level life expectancy estimates grouped by region. Depending on the dataset, averages may be calculated as simple averages or population-weighted averages.
What does both sexes mean?
Both sexes refers to the combined average life expectancy for the total population, including females and males together. Rankings are usually based on this overall figure.
Are female and male values included?
If shown, female and male life expectancy values represent separate average lifespan estimates for women and men within each continent.
Life Expectancy by Continent FAQs
Which continent has the highest life expectancy?
Europe and Oceania generally have the highest average life expectancy among the continents, supported by strong healthcare systems, higher incomes, and lower infant mortality.
Which continent has the lowest life expectancy?
Africa has the lowest average life expectancy among the continents. Limited healthcare access, poverty, infectious diseases, and food insecurity are major factors behind shorter lifespans.
Why does life expectancy vary by continent?
Life expectancy varies because healthcare quality, income levels, nutrition, sanitation, education, public safety, and disease burden differ widely between regions.
How is life expectancy by continent calculated?
Life expectancy by continent is calculated by grouping country-level life expectancy estimates within each continent and averaging them, either as simple averages or population-weighted averages.
Do women live longer than men across continents?
Yes. In most continents, women live longer than men on average, although the size of the gender gap varies by region and country.