In this article, we will look at the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world, and take an overview of the trends in life expectancy across the globe.
Trends in Global Life Expectancy Across the Globe
Global life expectancy has increased dramatically over the years: it stood at just 51 years in 1960, rising to around 71 years in the present decade. Data by the World Health Organization reveals that global life expectancy increased by more than six years between 2000 and 2019 before the pandemic, going from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.1 years in 2019. Healthy life expectancy (HALE), also grew by 9%, increasing from 58.1 in 2000 to 63.5 in 2019. This increase was primarily due to a decline in mortality instead of a decrease in the number of years people lived with disability. The increase in life expectancy thus surpassed the rise in HALE, at 6.4 years and 5.3 years, respectively.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic reversed around a decade of life expectancy and HALE increase. According to the World Health Statistics 2024 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), global life expectancy and HALE in 2020 returned to their 2016 levels at 72.5 years and 62.8 years, respectively. 2021 saw a further recession, with the two metrics returning to their 2012 levels. Global life expectancy reduced to 71.4 years, while HALE decreased to 61.9 years. The pandemic thus wiped out a decade of improvement in just two years.
The report also highlighted the unequal effects of these trends across the globe, with WHO regions for Southeast Asia and the Americas suffering the most. Life expectancy in the regions fell by around three years, with healthy life expectancy dropping by 2.5 years between 2019 and 2022. The Western Pacific Region, in contrast, remained minimally affected, experiencing a drop of less than 0.1 years in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy between 2019 and 2021. You can also look at 15 Countries with the Highest Life Expectancy in Asia for more insight.
Life expectancy in the US underwent a similar decline due to the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life expectancy for both sexes in the country stands at 77.5 years as of 2022, with 74.8 years for males and 80.2 years for women.
Role of Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals in Managing Life Expectancy
With almost all facets of life returning to normal after the pandemic, global life expectancy is also expected to revert to its pre-pandemic levels. In fact, a study by the Global Burden of Disease forecasted an increase of 4.9 years in the global life expectancy of males and 4.2 years in that of females between 2022 and 2050. These life expectancy increases are anticipated to be the most significant in countries with low life expectancies, allowing a confluence of increasing life expectancies across the globe.
These trends are primarily driven by extensive public health measures that have improved and prevented survival rates from COVID-19, cardiovascular diseases, and several communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs). Overall, almost all countries worldwide are expected to experience an improvement in their average life expectancies, driven by upgrading healthcare and infrastructure. Increased availability of facilities and higher access to nutritional food are also pivotal factors in the domain. Prominent healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are playing their roles in bringing life expectancy back to pre-pandemic levels by introducing advanced treatments and medications to combat death and diseases. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is a significant player in the field. Headquartered in New Jerse, this multinational pharmaceutical, medical technologies, and biotechnology corporation holds expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech domains and operates under several business units, including DePuy Synthes, Neutrogena Corporation, Ethicon, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Acclarent.
On August 2nd, DePuy Synthes, which is the Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), announced the launch of VELYS™ Active Robotic-Assisted System, also known as VELYS™ SPINE. Developed in collaboration with eCential Robotics, this dual-use robotics and standalone navigation platform is one of a kind, allowing surgeons to tackle the most complex challenges with its active robotics technology. The platform will be used in planning and instrumenting spinal fusion procedures in the thoracolumbar, cervical, and sacroiliac spine. The company’s continued digital advancements in the field of surgical robotics and navigation have established it as a leader in the domain.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is also seeking FDA approval for the first and only monotherapy available for adults with treatment-resistant depression: SPRAVATO(esketamine). Results from the fourth phase of SPRAVATO monotherapy data show quick improvement in depression symptoms, building on more than a decade of clinical trials and research. This monotherapy nasal spray will allow patients living with treatment-resistant depression, preventing them from jumping from one treatment to another that fail to curb their symptoms. The Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) MedTech unit supports technology that is applied in approximately 75 million medical procedures every year, and announced plans in March to collaborate with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) to develop new artificial intelligence applications for surgery. The companies plan to employ Artificial Intelligence within surgical platforms and devices to help surgeons from pre-op to post-op, automating and streamlining the procedures.
Now that we have taken an overview of the trends in life expectancy around the globe, let’s look at the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world. You can also look at 20 US Cities With the Shortest Life Expectancy and 15 Countries with the Highest Life Expectancy in Africa.
30 Cities with the Lowest Life Expectancy in the World
Our Methodology
To compile a list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world, we considered the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) list of average life expectancy of countries across the globe. We shortlisted the 30 countries with the lowest life expectancy in the world, and used that as a proxy for the life expectancies of their largest cities. The 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world are arranged in descending order of their average life expectancy as of 2024.
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30 Cities with the Lowest Life Expectancy in the World
30. Harare, Zimbabwe
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 67.2 Years
Harare ranks 30th on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world. It is the largest city by population in Zimbabwe, and has an average life expectancy of 67.2 years as of 2024.
29. Lusaka, Zambia
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 66.9 Years
Lusaka, the capital and largest city of Zambia, holds the 29th spot on our list. With an average life expectancy of 66.9 years, the city is known as one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa.
28. Kigali, Rwanda
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 66.6 Years
Kigali is the capital and largest city in Rwanda. As of 2022, its urban population was around 1.52 million people. Kigali ranks 28th on our list, with an average life expectancy of 66.6 years as of 2024.
27. Gaborone, Botswana
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 66.4 Years
Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, ranks 27th on our list, with a life expectancy of 66.4 years. The city has a population of around 175,000 people, and is the only city in the country to have a population over 100,000 people.
26. Djibouti, Djibouti
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 65.9 Years
Djibouti is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa. It covers an area of 630 square kilometers and has a population of over 531,000.
25. Windhoek, Namibia
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 65.9 Years
Windhoek is the capital of Nambia, and ranks in the 25th spot on our list with an average life expectancy of 65.9 years. The city has an urban population of more than 431,000 people.
24. Nouakchott, Mauritania
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 65.9 Years
Nouakchott is Mauritania’s largest city, with an average life expectancy of around 65.9 years as of 2024. It ranks 24th on our list.
23. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 65.6 Years
Port-au-Prince is Haiti’s capital and most populous city, with a population of around 1.23 million people as of 2022. It is the country’s economic and political center and has an average life expectancy of about 65.6 years.
22. Conakry, Guinea
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 64.6 Years
Conakry lies on the Camayenne Peninsula and Tombo Island, and is the national capital and largest city in Guinea. It also functions as the primary Atlantic port to the country due to its location in the western wing of the country.
21. Bissau, Guinea Bissau
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 64.5 Years
Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, is located on the West African coast near the connecting point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Geba River. The city has an average life expectancy of 64.5 years.
20. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 64.2 Years
Ouagadougou, also known as Ouago or Wagadugu, is the capital of Burkina Faso, and is located in Western Africa. The city is famous for being the country’s cultural, communications, administrative, and economic center.
19. Douala, Cameroon
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 64.2 Years
Douala takes the 19th spot on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average life expectancy of 64.2 years as of 2024. The coastal city is located in Cameroon’s southwestern wing.
18. Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 63.9 Years
The port city of Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko Norte, and is located on the northern wing of Bioko Island in the shadow of a sunken volcano. The city has an average life expectancy of 63.9 years as of 2024.
17. Bamako, Mali
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 63.2 Years
As the capital and largest city of Mali, Bamako takes the 17th spot on our list. The city has a population of around 4.22 million people as of 2022, and is located on the Niger River. It is the primary administrative center in Mali.
16. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 63.2 Years
The 16th spot on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world is held by Abidjan, a city located on Cote d’Ivoire’s southern Atlantic coast in the West African region. It is the major urban center of the country, and has an average life expectancy of 63.2 years.
15. Cotonou, Benin
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 63 Years
With an average life expectancy of 63 years as of 2024, Benin’s de facto administrative capital of Cotonou ranks 15th on our list. The country’s official capital is Porto-Novo, but Contonou is its largest city.
14. Luanda, Angola
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 62.9 Years
Luanda is famous for being the primary port and the largest city of Angola, as well as its cultural, industrial, economic, and urban center. The city ranks 14th on our list.
13. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 62.6 Years
Formerly known as Léopoldville, Kinshasa ranks 13th on our list. As of 2024, the average life expectancy is 62.6 years. The city has a population of around 12 million people as of 2020, making it one of the most populous cities on the continent.
12. Lagos, Nigeria
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 62.2 Years
Lagos ranks as the largest city in the sub-Saharan African region with a population of around 219 million people as of 2022. It was the capital of Nigeria until 1975, and stretches across the Lagos Lagoon from the Gulf of Guinea.
11. Monrovia, Liberia
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 61.6 Years
With an average life expectancy of 61.6 years, Monrovia is the capital and largest city of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast on Cape Mesurado, it ranks 11th on our list.
10. Niamey, Niger
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 60.9 Years
Primarily located on the east bank, Niamey lies on the Niger River. It has an average life expectancy of 60.7 years, ranking it in the tenth spot on our list.
9. Manzini, Eswatini
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 60.7 Years
Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini is a landlocked country in southern Africa. Manzini, its largest city, has an average life expectancy of 60.7 years as of 2024.
8. Juba, South Sudan
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 60.3 Years
With an average life expectancy of 60.3 years, Juba ranks eighth on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world. It is the capital of South Sudan, and is located on the White Nile. The city also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State.
7. Maseru, Lesotho
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 60.2 Years
The landlocked kingdom of Lesotho is a high-altitude region surrounded by South Africa. Its largest city and capital, Maseru, has an average life expectancy of 60.2 years.
6. N’Djamena, Chad
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 60 Years
With a population of over 1 million people, N’Djamena is the capital and economic center of Chad. It is also recognised as a special statute region, and is divided into ten arrondissements or districts.
5. Freetown, Sierra Leone
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 59.4 Years
Freetown ranks fifth on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancies in the world, with an average life expectancy of 59.4 years as of 2024. The city is a major port town located on the Atlantic Ocean in the Western Area of the country.
4. Maputo, Mozambique
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 58.3 Years
Officially known as the Republic of Mozambique, Mozambique is a southern African nation which boasts a long coastline with the Indian Ocean. Maputo, its largest city, has an average life expectancy of 58.3 years.
3. Mogadishu, Somalia
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 56.5 Years
Located on the Indian Ocean just north of the Equator, Mogadishu is Somalia’s capital and largest city. It is also a major port city for the country, with its origin dating back to some of the earliest Arab settlements on the East African coast in the 10th century.
2. Bangui, Central African Republic
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 56.4 Years
Formerly known as Ubangi-Shari, the Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa. Its capital and largest city is Bangui, which was founded in 1889 as a French outpost on the northern bank of the Ubangi River.
1. Kabul, Afghanistan
Average Life Expectancy as of 2024: 54.4 Years
Kabul ranks first on our list of the 30 cities with the lowest life expectancy in the world. It is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, a landlocked country located at the connecting point of South Asia and Central Asia. Afghanistan has been suffering from decades of war, inadequate administrative practices, and failing infrastructure, which are some of the primary reasons behind the country’s low life expectancy. Kabul is located in the eastern half of the country and forms a part of the Kabul Province as a municipality. It is divided into 22 municipal districts for administration and houses around 4.95 million people as of 2023. The city has an average life expectancy of around 54.4 years as of 2024, the lowest in the world.
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