Life Expectancy in Norway (2024): Men 81.6, Women 84.8

Life expectancy in Norway since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Norway has risen by 9.7 years, from 73.5 to 83.2. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.5 years (from 83.0 in 2019 to 82.5 in 2022) and has since recovered. Women live 3.2 years longer than men (84.8 vs 81.6).

Expected age at death in Norway 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	81.6	82.4	83.1	84.6	89.6
Women	84.8	85.6	86.3	87.6	91.7

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

How people die in Norway

Chronic diseases: 86.8%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 7.6%
Injuries: 5.7%

In 2019, 87% of deaths in Norway were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Norway man has a 9% chance and a woman 7% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 2.1 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 Norway, about 2.5 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Norway compared with its region

Norway is in the World Bank’s Europe & Central Asia region, where the average life expectancy is 79.3 years. It ranks #11 of 58 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
7	Italy	84.0	82.0	86.0
8	Spain	83.9	81.4	86.5
9	Gibraltar	83.6	81.0	86.2
10	Luxembourg	83.2	81.0	85.5
11	Norway	83.2	81.6	84.8
12	Faroe Islands	83.1	81.3	84.9
13	France	83.0	80.2	85.9
14	Ireland	83.0	81.4	84.7
15	Iceland	82.8	81.2	84.5

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Norway?

83.2 years in 2024: 81.6 for men and 84.8 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Norway?

Yes. Women in Norway live about 3.2 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Norway rank for life expectancy?

Norway ranks #19 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 9.7 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Norway?

Life expectancy at birth (83.2) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Norway can expect to live to about 83.1, and a 40-year-old woman to about 86.3.

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.