Life Expectancy in South America (2026)
Life Expectancy in South America compares average lifespan across South American countries and territories. The rankings show Chile leading the region, while countries such as Bolivia and Guyana record lower life expectancy levels. Explore the latest South America life expectancy rankings, map, and country-by-country data.
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Life Expectancy in South America Rankings
| # | Country | Life Expectancy (Both Sexes) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇱Chile |
81.72 | 48 | South America |
| 2 | 🇫🇰Falkland Islands |
79.78 | 61 | South America |
| 3 | 🇺🇾Uruguay |
78.62 | 73 | South America |
| 4 | 🇵🇪Peru |
78.3 | 78 | South America |
| 5 | 🇨🇴Colombia |
78.27 | 79 | South America |
| 6 | 🇪🇨Ecuador |
77.94 | 85 | South America |
| 7 | 🇦🇷Argentina |
77.83 | 86 | South America |
| 8 | 🇬🇫French Guiana |
77.54 | 91 | South America |
| 9 | 🇧🇷Brazil |
76.37 | 112 | South America |
| 10 | 🇵🇾Paraguay |
74.24 | 132 | South America |
| 11 | 🇸🇷Suriname |
74.04 | 135 | South America |
| 12 | 🇻🇪Venezuela |
73.01 | 147 | South America |
| 13 | 🇬🇾Guyana |
70.57 | 168 | South America |
| 14 | 🇧🇴Bolivia |
69.06 | 181 | South America |
Key Findings
Countries with Highest Life Expectancy in South America
- Chile (81.72) ranks first in South America, followed by Uruguay (78.62), Peru (78.30), Colombia (78.27), and Ecuador (77.94).
- These countries generally benefit from stronger healthcare access, lower mortality rates, and better overall public health outcomes than lower-ranked countries in the region.
Territories Also Rank Highly
- Falkland Islands (79.78) and French Guiana (77.54) both rank above several sovereign South American countries in this dataset.
- Territories with smaller populations and stronger healthcare links to higher-income systems often perform better in life expectancy rankings.
Chile Leads the Region by a Clear Margin
- Chile’s life expectancy of 81.72 years is more than 3 years higher than most of the region’s mid-ranked countries.
- Its strong performance reflects better healthcare outcomes, higher income levels, and a longer-standing improvement in public health indicators.
Lowest Life Expectancy in South America
- Bolivia (69.06) has the lowest life expectancy in South America in this dataset, followed by Guyana (70.57) and Venezuela (73.01).
- Lower life expectancy is often associated with weaker healthcare access, economic instability, higher poverty rates, and gaps in public health services.
Regional Differences Are Significant
- Life expectancy ranges from 81.72 years in Chile to 69.06 years in Bolivia.
- This gap of more than 12 years highlights major differences in living conditions, healthcare quality, and long-term health outcomes across South America.
About Life Expectancy in South America
Life Expectancy in South America measures how long people are expected to live across South American countries and territories based on current mortality patterns. The data reflects differences in healthcare access, income levels, nutrition, public health systems, safety, sanitation, and disease burden.
South America includes countries with relatively strong health outcomes, such as Chile and Uruguay, as well as lower-ranked countries facing greater economic, healthcare, and social challenges. These differences make life expectancy one of the clearest indicators of regional inequality across the continent.
Definitions & Methodology
What is life expectancy in South America?
Life expectancy in South America shows the average number of years people are expected to live in South American countries and territories based on current mortality patterns.
How are the South America rankings calculated?
Countries and territories are ranked by Life Expectancy (Both Sexes), which represents the average expected lifespan at birth for the total population.
What does global rank mean?
Global rank shows where each South American country or territory stands in the worldwide life expectancy ranking. For example, Chile ranks 48th globally in this dataset.
What units are used?
All values are shown in years. A life expectancy value of 78.62 means the average expected lifespan is about 78.62 years.
Life Expectancy in South America FAQs
Which country has the highest life expectancy in South America?
Chile has the highest life expectancy in South America in 2026 at 81.72 years, followed by Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Which country has the lowest life expectancy in South America?
Bolivia has the lowest life expectancy in South America in this dataset at 69.06 years, followed by Guyana and Venezuela.
Why does life expectancy vary across South America?
Life expectancy varies across South America because healthcare quality, income levels, nutrition, safety, public health systems, and economic stability differ between countries.
Which territories rank highly in South America?
In this dataset, the Falkland Islands and French Guiana rank above several sovereign South American countries for life expectancy.
How is life expectancy in South America measured?
Life expectancy in South America is measured as the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if current age-specific mortality rates remain unchanged.