Countries by Life Expectancy at Birth 2026

About This Dataset

Countries ranked by average life expectancy at birth in 2026, combining male and female figures, according to WHO Global Health Observatory and UN Population Division estimates. Japan has led global life expectancy rankings for decades — a longevity record attributed to a combination of dietary patterns centred on fish, vegetables, and fermented foods with low saturated fat consumption, universal healthcare coverage with high utilisation rates for preventive screening, strong social cohesion and purpose in later life reflected in the concept of ikigai, and among the lowest obesity rates of any high-income nation. Japan's challenge, however, is that its extraordinary longevity has produced one of the world's most severe demographic ageing crises.

Analysis

Japan (84.3), Switzerland (84) and Singapore (83.9) take the top three in Life Expectancy at Birth (Years) in 2026. Values run from 84.3 at the top to 82.8 at the bottom, a spread of 1.50. First and second are separated by 0.30, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Below the top two the field is tightly packed: the remaining 6 run from 83.9 down to 82.8.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

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Japan leads in Life Expectancy at Birth (Years) with 84.30 in 2026.

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Average Life Expectancy at Birth (Years) in 2026: 84 · median: 83.

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Gap in 2026: Japan is 1× larger than Sweden.