Life Expectancy in Sweden (2024): Men 82.6, Women 85.6

Life expectancy in Sweden since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Sweden has risen by 11.1 years, from 73.0 to 84.1. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.7 years (from 83.1 in 2019 to 82.4 in 2020) and has since recovered. Women live 3.0 years longer than men (85.6 vs 82.6).

Expected age at death in Sweden 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	82.6	83.4	84.1	85.5	90.3
Women	85.6	86.4	87.1	88.3	92.2

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

How people die in Sweden

Chronic diseases: 89.5%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 5.4%
Injuries: 5.1%

In 2019, 90% of deaths in Sweden were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Sweden 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 3.1 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 Sweden, about 2.4 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Sweden compared with its region

Sweden is in the World Bank’s Europe & Central Asia region, where the average life expectancy is 79.3 years. It ranks #6 of 58 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
2	San Marino	85.8	84.3	87.2
3	Switzerland	84.4	82.7	86.2
4	Andorra	84.2	82.3	86.2
5	Liechtenstein	84.2	82.2	86.3
6	Sweden	84.1	82.6	85.6
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

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Sweden?

84.1 years in 2024: 82.6 for men and 85.6 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Sweden?

Yes. Women in Sweden live about 3.0 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Sweden rank for life expectancy?

Sweden ranks #9 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 10.6 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Sweden?

Life expectancy at birth (84.1) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Sweden can expect to live to about 84.1, and a 40-year-old woman to about 87.1.

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.