South Africa’s life expectancy declined sharply from 63 years in 1990 to 54 years by 2005, reflecting the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Recovery began in the late 2000s with the rollout of antiretroviral treatments, reaching 66 years by 2019. The decline to 61 years by 2022 reflects ongoing public health challenges and disparities in healthcare access.
For a deeper dive into the topic, explore South Africa’s population growth, South Africa’s manufacturing share in GDP, South Africa’s fertility rate trends.
