Life Expectancy in Ghana (2024): Men 63.3, Women 68.2

Life expectancy in Ghana since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Ghana has risen by 18.8 years, from 46.9 to 65.7. Women live 4.9 years longer than men (68.2 vs 63.3).

Expected age at death in Ghana by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	63.3	66.2	67.4	71.6	82.8
Women	68.2	71.2	72.2	75.3	84.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Ghana’s figures (method).

How people die in Ghana

Chronic diseases: 47.3%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 45.1%
Injuries: 7.7%

In 2019, 47% of deaths in Ghana were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Ghana man has a 25% chance and a woman 20% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 25.7 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Ghana, about 35.9 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Ghana compared with its region

Ghana is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #22 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
18	Zambia	66.5	64.1	68.9
19	South Africa	66.3	62.8	69.8
20	Gambia	66.1	64.4	67.8
21	Congo	66.0	64.3	67.7
22	Ghana	65.7	63.3	68.2
23	Angola	64.8	62.3	67.3
24	Eswatini	64.3	61.3	67.1
25	Guinea-Bissau	64.3	61.8	66.5
26	Cameroon	64.0	61.8	66.2

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Ghana?

65.7 years in 2024: 63.3 for men and 68.2 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Ghana?

Yes. Women in Ghana live about 4.9 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Ghana rank for life expectancy?

Ghana ranks #189 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 7.8 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Ghana?

Life expectancy at birth (65.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Ghana can expect to live to about 67.4, and a 40-year-old woman to about 72.2.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.