The 15 countries with the highest life expectancies — and the 15 with the lowest

Monaco has the highest life expectancy in the world. Simona Sirio/Getty Images The World Bank Group ranked life expectancy in different countries around the world. High mortality among infants and children significantly lowers the life expectancy at birth. Monaco and San Marino had the highest life expectancies, while Nigeria and Chad had the lowest. Jeanne Calment was the oldest verified person to have ever lived, passing away at 122. Despite Calment's extraordinary longevity, her home country, France, ranks 19th in the world for average life expectancy. The World Bank Group collected data on life expectancy at birth by country through 2024. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns remain the same throughout their life. The countries ranked highest tend to be wealthier, with robust healthcare systems and lower rates of early-life mortality. Meanwhile, the countries with the lowest life expectancy are all located in Africa, which often faces disease, malnutrition, and conflict. High mortality among infants and children and healthcare shortages on the continent significantly lower the life expectancy at birth. The US ranked 47th in the dataset, with an average life expectancy of 78.9 years. The World Bank Group used statistics from sources such as the United Nations and national statistical office databases. Business Insider did not include autonomous regions and territories listed in the data. The average life expectancy estimates for 2024 are based on data interpolated across five-year periods, so they may not reflect events that occurred in that year and affected mortality rates, such as a conflict or famine. See the 15 countries with the highest life expectancy, followed by the 15 with the lowest. 13. (tie) Norway's average life expectancy is 83.2 years. Oslo, Norway. xbrchx/Getty Images/iStockphoto Average female life expectancy: 84.8 Average male life expectancy: 81.6 13. (tie) Luxembourg's average life expectancy is 83.2. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. olrat/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 85.5 Average male life expectancy: 81.0 13. (tie) Israel's average life expectancy is 83.2. Tel Aviv, Israel. Boarding1Now/Getty Images/iStockphoto Average female life expectancy: 85.4 Average male life expectancy: 81.1 12. Singapore's average life expectancy is 83.3 years. Singapore is a city-state. tupungato/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 85.6 Average male life expectancy: 81.2 11. South Korea's average life expectancy is 83.6 years. Seoul, South Korea. pinglabel/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 86.6 Average male life expectancy: 80.8 10. Spain's average life expectancy is 83.9 years. Madrid, Spain. VanderWolf-Images/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 86.5 Average male life expectancy: 81.4 8. (tie) Italy's average life expectancy is 84.0 years. Rome, Italy. Andrew Jackson/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 86.0 Average male life expectancy: 82.0 8. (tie) Japan's average life expectancy is 84.0 years. Tokyo, Japan. tawatchaiprakobkit/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 87.1 Average male life expectancy: 81.1 7. Sweden's average life expectancy is 84.1 years. Stockholm, Sweden. Wirestock/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 85.6 Average male life expectancy: 82.6 5. (tie) Andorra's average life expectancy is 84.2 years. Andorra la Vella, Andorra. Armando Oliveira/Getty Images/iStockphoto Average female life expectancy: 86.2 Average male life expectancy: 82.3 5. (tie) Liechtenstein's average life expectancy is 84.2 years. Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Stefan Krisa/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 86.3 Average male life expectancy: 82.2 4. Switzerland's average life expectancy is 84.4 years. Geneva, Switzerland. Xantana/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 86.2 Average male life expectancy: 82.7 3. Kuwait's average life expectancy is 84.6 years. Kuwait City, Kuwait. Anson Fernandez Dionisio/Getty Images/iStockphoto Average female life expectancy: 85.4 Average male life expectancy: 83.8 2. San Marino's average life expectancy is 85.8 years. San Marino is a small country surrounded by Italy. A.Greeg/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 87.2 Average male life expectancy: 84.3 1. Monaco's average life expectancy is 86.5 years. Monte Carlo, Monaco saiko3p/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 88.6 Average male life expectancy: 84.6 15. On the lower end, Nauru's average life expectancy is 62.3 years. Anibare in the tiny island nation of Nauru. aksum/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 64.2 Average male life expectancy: 60.4 14. Côte d'Ivoire's average life expectancy is 62.1 years. Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire. Dave Primov/Getty Images Average female life expectancy: 64.3 Average male life expectancy: 60.2 13. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's average life expectancy is 62.1