Line graph: Life expectancy at birth

The line graph shows life expectancy at birth for women and men in Europe and for the population of Sub-Saharan Africa between 1950 and 2020.

Overall, life expectancy rose in all three groups. Women in Europe lived longest throughout, while Sub-Saharan Africa had by far the lowest figures but made the largest gains over the seventy years.

In Europe, women's life expectancy increased from 64 years in 1950 to 72 in 1970 and 77 in 1990, before reaching 80 in 2005 and 83 in 2020. Men's figures were consistently lower, at 59 in 1950, 67 in 1970 and 70 in 1990. They then rose to 73 in 2005 and 77 in 2020. The gap between the sexes was 5 years in 1950, widened to 7 years in 1990 and 2005, and then narrowed slightly to 6 years in 2020.

Sub-Saharan Africa began at just 37 years in 1950, over 20 years below the European figures. It improved to 40 in 1960 and 44 in 1970, then 50 in 1990. Progress stalled in the following period, reaching only 52 in 2005, but it then accelerated sharply to 61 in 2020, a rise of 24 years in total.