"What is Life Expectancy? Top 15 Countries with the Highest Life Expectancy (Male & Female) in 2025"

What is Life Expectancy (and “Life Expectancy Rate”)

Life expectancy is the average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality rates at each age stayed the same into the future. Sometimes people say “life expectancy rate” but the correct term is life expectancy (years). It’s usually reported for both sexes combined, and separately for males and females because women typically live longer than men. (Sources: UN / World Bank / Our World in Data.)

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Below I give a blog-ready list of the top 15 countries by life expectancy (overall) with the typical male / female split and a one-sentence explanation for each country. The numeric values come from the most recent country rankings and national estimates available in public data (Worldometer / World Population Review / World Bank / Our World in Data). Where multiple sources differ slightly, I use the commonly reported figure rounded to one decimal. (Dates / exact datasets vary by source; treat these as the latest published country rankings around 2024–2025.) 

📝 Introduction

Life expectancy means the average number of years a newborn is expected to live, based on current health, lifestyle, and social conditions. Women usually outlive men, and some countries have managed to achieve remarkably high averages thanks to excellent healthcare, diets, and social systems.

Here are the top 15 countries with the highest life expectancy in 2025, explained one by one.

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1. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong — 85.8 Years

• Male: ~83.1 years

• Female: ~88.4 years
  Hong Kong tops the world due to strong healthcare, healthy diets, and effective public health systems.

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2. 🇯🇵 Japan — 85.0 Years

• Male: ~82.0 years

• Female: ~88.0 years
  The famous Japanese diet, active lifestyles, and universal healthcare keep Japan among the longest-lived nations.

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3. 🇰🇷 South Korea — 84.5 Years

• Male: ~81.4 years

• Female: ~87.4 years
  Modern healthcare, reduced smoking, and rapid health improvements help South Koreans live long lives.

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4. 🇵🇫 French Polynesia (Territory) — 84.3 Years

• Male: ~82.0 years

• Female: ~86.7 years
  Small populations with strong medical services show high life expectancy averages.

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5. 🇨🇭 Switzerland — 84.2 Years

• Male: ~82.3 years

• Female: ~86.1 years
  Switzerland combines wealth, healthcare excellence, and low premature deaths for long lifespans.

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6. 🇦🇺 Australia — 84.2 Years

• Male: ~82.4 years

• Female: ~86.0 years
  High living standards, universal healthcare, and active lifestyles make Australians among the healthiest.

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7. 🇮🇹 Italy — 84.0 Years

• Male: ~81.9 years

• Female: ~86.0 years
  The Mediterranean diet and strong family/social networks contribute to Italian longevity.

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8. 🇸🇬 Singapore — 84.0 Years

• Male: ~81.5 years

• Female: ~86.5 years
  World-class healthcare and effective public health programs help Singaporeans live long.

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9. 🇪🇸 Spain — 84.0 Years

• Male: ~81.3 years

• Female: ~86.6 years
  A Mediterranean diet and quality healthcare make Spain a global longevity leader.

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10. 🇮🇸 Iceland / 🇲🇨 Monaco (Small Nations) — 83.8–84.0 Years

• Male & Female: Females live ~3–4 years longer
  Wealth, healthcare access, and small-population effects place these countries high on the list.

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11. 🇸🇪 Sweden / 🇳🇴 Norway / 🇳🇱 Netherlands — 82.5–83.5 Years

• Male: ~80–81 years

• Female: ~84–85 years
  Nordic countries benefit from social safety nets, healthy lifestyles, and top-class healthcare.

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12. 🇫🇷 France — 82.8–83.5 Years

• Male: ~80.4 years

• Female: ~85.3 years
  Balanced diet, excellent healthcare, and preventive medicine help French citizens live longer.

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13. 🇨🇦 Canada — 82.5 Years

• Male: ~80.0 years

• Female: ~85.0 years
  Universal healthcare and high living standards ensure Canadians live well into their 80s.

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14. 🇳🇿 New Zealand — 82.4 Years

• Male: ~80.0 years

• Female: ~84.8 years
  Good healthcare, healthy lifestyles, and strong social systems contribute to longevity.

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15. 🇵🇹 Portugal / 🇬🇷 Greece / 🇦🇹 Austria — 82.0–82.4 Years

• Male: ~79–80 years

• Female: ~84–85 years
  Southern and Central Europe enjoy strong diets, healthcare, and lifestyle factors that promote longer lives.

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🌟 Conclusion

Life expectancy continues to rise worldwide, but the top 15 countries share common features: excellent healthcare, healthy diets, and social stability. Women consistently live longer than men, often by 3–5 years.

If you’re inspired by these nations, focus on a balanced diet, active living, preventive healthcare, and mental well-being—all keys to living a longer, healthier life.