Life Expectancy in Asia (2026)
Life Expectancy in Asia 2026 compares how long people are expected to live across Asian countries based on current mortality patterns. The data highlights differences in overall life expectancy, as well as female and male life expectancy, making it easier to compare health outcomes across East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Explore the latest rankings, regional maps, and Asia-wide life expectancy statistics for 2026.
See Also:
Life Expectancy in Asia Rankings 2026
| # | Country | Life Expectancy (Both Sexes) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇭🇰Hong Kong |
85.9 | 3 | Asia |
| 2 | 🇯🇵Japan |
85.15 | 4 | Asia |
| 3 | 🇰🇷South Korea |
84.64 | 5 | Asia |
| 4 | 🇸🇬Singapore |
84.13 | 12 | Asia |
| 5 | 🇲🇴Macau |
83.6 | 21 | Asia |
| 6 | 🇦🇪United Arab Emirates |
83.39 | 23 | Asia |
| 7 | 🇮🇱Israel |
82.9 | 28 | Asia |
| 8 | 🇶🇦Qatar |
82.83 | 30 | Asia |
| 9 | 🇨🇾Cyprus |
82.15 | 42 | Asia |
| 10 | 🇧🇭Bahrain |
81.74 | 46 | Asia |
| 11 | 🇲🇻Maldives |
81.73 | 47 | Asia |
| 12 | 🇹🇼Taiwan |
81.14 | 51 | Asia |
| 13 | 🇰🇼Kuwait |
80.97 | 52 | Asia |
| 14 | 🇴🇲Oman |
80.65 | 56 | Asia |
| 15 | 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia |
79.4 | 64 | Asia |
| 16 | 🇨🇳China |
79.02 | 70 | Asia |
| 17 | 🇹🇷Turkey |
78.38 | 76 | Asia |
| 18 | 🇯🇴Jordan |
78.3 | 77 | Asia |
| 19 | 🇮🇷Iran |
78.25 | 80 | Asia |
| 20 | 🇱🇧Lebanon |
78.22 | 81 | Asia |
| 21 | 🇱🇰Sri Lanka |
78.03 | 83 | Asia |
| 22 | 🇵🇸State of Palestine |
77.42 | 93 | Asia |
| 23 | 🇲🇾Malaysia |
77.16 | 99 | Asia |
| 24 | 🇹🇭Thailand |
77.06 | 101 | Asia |
| 25 | 🇦🇲Armenia |
76.18 | 113 | Asia |
| 26 | 🇧🇳Brunei |
75.83 | 118 | Asia |
| 27 | 🇧🇩Bangladesh |
75.47 | 121 | Asia |
| 28 | 🇻🇳Vietnam |
75.05 | 125 | Asia |
| 29 | 🇬🇪Georgia |
74.98 | 128 | Asia |
| 30 | 🇦🇿Azerbaijan |
74.89 | 130 | Asia |
| 31 | 🇰🇿Kazakhstan |
74.81 | 131 | Asia |
| 32 | 🇰🇵North Korea |
73.98 | 136 | Asia |
| 33 | 🇧🇹Bhutan |
73.8 | 138 | Asia |
| 34 | 🇸🇾Syria |
73.43 | 140 | Asia |
| 35 | 🇺🇿Uzbekistan |
72.78 | 148 | Asia |
| 36 | 🇮🇳India |
72.72 | 150 | Asia |
| 37 | 🇮🇶Iraq |
72.63 | 151 | Asia |
| 38 | 🇲🇳Mongolia |
72.49 | 153 | Asia |
| 39 | 🇹🇯Tajikistan |
72.19 | 154 | Asia |
| 40 | 🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan |
72.11 | 156 | Asia |
| 41 | 🇮🇩Indonesia |
71.58 | 164 | Asia |
| 42 | 🇳🇵Nepal |
71.16 | 165 | Asia |
| 43 | 🇰🇭Cambodia |
71.14 | 166 | Asia |
| 44 | 🇹🇲Turkmenistan |
70.45 | 169 | Asia |
| 45 | 🇵🇭Philippines |
70.17 | 173 | Asia |
| 46 | 🇾🇪Yemen |
69.73 | 174 | Asia |
| 47 | 🇱🇦Laos |
69.7 | 175 | Asia |
| 48 | 🇹🇱Timor-Leste |
68.33 | 185 | Asia |
| 49 | 🇵🇰Pakistan |
68.06 | 187 | Asia |
| 50 | 🇲🇲Myanmar |
67.5 | 194 | Asia |
| 51 | 🇦🇫Afghanistan |
66.77 | 200 | Asia |
Key Findings
Countries with Highest Life Expectancy in Asia
- Hong Kong (85.90) ranks first in Asia, followed by Japan (85.15), South Korea (84.64), and Singapore (84.13).
- These countries have some of the strongest health outcomes in Asia, supported by advanced healthcare systems, high living standards, and low mortality rates.
Countries with Lowest Life Expectancy in Asia
- The lowest life expectancy levels in Asia are found in Afghanistan (66.77), Myanmar (67.50), Pakistan (68.06), and Timor-Leste (68.33).
- Lower life expectancy in these countries is often linked to limited healthcare access, poverty, conflict, weaker public health systems, and higher disease burden.
East Asia Leads the Region
- East Asian economies such as Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Taiwan, and China perform strongly in the regional rankings.
- Longer lifespans in this region are often connected with better healthcare access, healthier aging populations, lower infant mortality, and stronger public health investment.
Large Gaps Exist Across Asia
- Asia shows a wide life expectancy gap, from 85.90 years in Hong Kong to 66.77 years in Afghanistan.
- This difference of more than 19 years highlights major regional inequalities in healthcare, income, nutrition, safety, and living conditions.
Gulf Countries Rank Highly
- The United Arab Emirates (83.39), Qatar (82.83), Bahrain (81.74), Kuwait (80.97), and Oman (80.65) all rank high within Asia.
- These countries benefit from higher incomes, improved healthcare infrastructure, and major investment in medical services and living standards.
About Life Expectancy in Asia
Life Expectancy in Asia 2026 measures the average number of years people are expected to live in Asian countries if current age-specific mortality rates remain unchanged. It is one of the most widely used indicators of public health because it reflects the overall mortality environment of a population in a single number.
Across Asia, life expectancy varies sharply from one country to another. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with stronger healthcare systems, better nutrition, lower child mortality, safer water and sanitation, and higher income levels. Lower life expectancy, by contrast, is more common in countries facing poverty, conflict, limited healthcare access, or a heavier burden of disease.
Because Asia includes both some of the world’s richest and poorest countries, regional life expectancy patterns are especially diverse. This makes life expectancy a useful way to compare long-term health outcomes across East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Definitions & Methodology
What is life expectancy in Asia?
Life expectancy in Asia shows the average number of years people are expected to live in Asian countries based on current mortality patterns.
How are the Asia rankings calculated?
Countries are ranked by Life Expectancy (Both Sexes). The ranking compares Asian countries and territories using the average expected lifespan at birth.
What does global rank mean?
Global rank shows where each Asian country stands in the worldwide life expectancy ranking. For example, Hong Kong ranks first in Asia and third globally in this dataset.
What units are used?
All life expectancy values are shown in years. A value of 85.90 means the average expected lifespan is about 85.90 years.
Life Expectancy in Asia FAQs
Which country has the highest life expectancy in Asia?
Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy in Asia in 2026 at 85.90 years, followed by Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Macau.
Which country has the lowest life expectancy in Asia?
Afghanistan has the lowest life expectancy in Asia in this dataset at 66.77 years, followed by Myanmar, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and Laos.
Why does life expectancy vary across Asia?
Life expectancy varies across Asia because healthcare quality, income levels, nutrition, sanitation, conflict, public health systems, and disease burden differ greatly between countries.
Which Asian countries rank high globally?
Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Macau rank among the highest Asian countries globally for life expectancy in 2026.
How is life expectancy in Asia measured?
Life expectancy in Asia is measured using the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if current age-specific mortality rates remain unchanged.