Comparison
Life expectancy by country
Country rankings usually show total life expectancy only. Placing healthy life expectancy beside it changes the picture — and shows how much of the difference between countries sits in the unhealthy years.
| Country | Life expectancy (F/M) | Healthy life expectancy (F/M) |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 84.8 / 81.4 | 72.0 / 71.5 |
| Norway | 84.4 / 81.0 | 71.8 / 71.1 |
| Denmark | 83.4 / 79.6 | 70.7 / 69.9 |
| Finland | 84.0 / 79.2 | 71.3 / 69.4 |
| Germany | 83.2 / 78.6 | 70.9 / 69.7 |
| United Kingdom | 83.0 / 79.2 | 70.4 / 69.6 |
| France | 85.7 / 80.0 | 72.1 / 70.0 |
| Netherlands | 83.1 / 80.4 | 70.9 / 70.8 |
| United States | 80.7 / 75.1 | 65.5 / 63.9 |
| Japan | 87.7 / 81.5 | 76.1 / 72.0 |
| China | 82.1 / 76.4 | 70.9 / 68.5 |
| Australia | 85.1 / 81.3 | 73.5 / 71.8 |
Reading the table
The first column is period life expectancy at birth, the second is WHO healthy life expectancy (HALE). Both are population measures for a given year, not forecasts for individuals born today.
Japan has the highest female lifespan and healthy life expectancy in these reference figures. These are the datasets used by the calculator, not a current global ranking; source years differ.
The United States is the clearest outlier
US life expectancy sits several years below the northern European figures, and the gap in healthy life expectancy is larger still. Differences in cardiovascular risk factor control, healthcare access and drug-related and injury mortality all contribute.
What country data does in the model
Your country and sex select the reference life table and HALE ratio. Everything after that is your own profile. If your country is not in the supported list, the model falls back to the EU-27 or OECD high-income average and says so explicitly on your result.
See your own numbers
Five short steps, about three minutes, free. Your answers stay in your browser, and the full methodology is public.
Calculate My TrajectoryFigures on this page are population-level statistics from WHO, Eurostat, OECD and national statistical agencies. They describe populations, not individuals, and nothing here is medical advice or a diagnosis.