Life Expectancy in Yemen (2024): Men 67.4, Women 71.5

Life expectancy in Yemen since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Yemen has risen by 35.9 years, from 33.5 to 69.4. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.6 years (from 66.6 in 2019 to 66.0 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 4.1 years longer than men (71.5 vs 67.4).

Expected age at death in Yemen 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	67.4	70.6	71.6	74.8	84.1
Women	71.5	74.8	75.7	78.1	85.7

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

How people die in Yemen

Chronic diseases: 44.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 29.4%
Injuries: 26.5%

In 2019, 44% of deaths in Yemen were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Yemen man has a 28% chance and a woman 24% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 29.4 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 Yemen, about 38.1 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Yemen compared with its region

Yemen is in the World Bank’s Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan region, where the average life expectancy is 75.9 years. It ranks #19 of 23 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
15	Syria	72.6	70.2	74.9
16	Iraq	72.4	70.5	74.2
17	Egypt	71.8	69.7	74.0
18	Libya	71.1	69.6	72.7
19	Yemen	69.4	67.4	71.5
20	Palestine	69.2	65.2	74.3
21	Pakistan	67.8	65.5	70.3
22	Afghanistan	66.3	64.7	67.8
23	Djibouti	66.2	63.7	68.7

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Yemen?

69.4 years in 2024: 67.4 for men and 71.5 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Yemen?

Yes. Women in Yemen live about 4.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Yemen rank for life expectancy?

Yemen ranks #157 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 4.1 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Yemen?

Life expectancy at birth (69.4) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Yemen can expect to live to about 71.6, and a 40-year-old woman to about 75.7.

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.