Nigeria has been ranked as the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average of just 54.6 years, according to the latest data from the United Nations World Population Prospects.
This figure places Nigeria at the bottom of a list of 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy at birth globally, as visualised in a recent infographic by Visual Capitalist.
Despite being one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria’s average life span is significantly below the global average and trails behind even some of the world’s poorest nations.
The gap is stark when compared with Monaco, the country with the highest life expectancy, where people live an average of 32 years longer than Nigerians.
The report reveals that Nigerian men live an average of 54.3 years, while women live slightly longer at 54.9 years.
This gender difference in life expectancy is common across most of the countries listed, except Guinea. Mozambique shows the widest gap, with women living over six years longer than men.
Experts say life expectancy is a direct reflection of a country’s overall quality of life, economic development, healthcare system, and access to basic services.
In Nigeria, persistent issues such as widespread poverty, limited access to quality healthcare, poor sanitation, high rates of infectious diseases, and infrastructural deficits have all contributed to the country’s low ranking, according to Visual Capitalist.
Africa dominates the list, with 24 of the 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy located on the continent.
Chad (55.2 years), South Sudan (57.7 years), and the Central African Republic (57.7 years) also ranked near the bottom, as many of these nations continue to grapple with political instability, conflict, and underdevelopment.
Interestingly, Nauru, a tiny island country in Oceania, is the only non-African country to make the list, with an average life expectancy of 62.3 years.
However, it is not all bleak. The African continent as a whole has made progress.
Life expectancy rose from 53.7 years in 2000 to 63.8 years in 2023, and projections suggest it could reach 66 years by 2035 and over 68 years by 2050. Countries like South Sudan and Niger, despite their current figures, are among the fastest-growing economies in the world, offering some hope for the future.
trends, experts argue that urgent attention must be given to addressing the systemic challenges that continue to reduce the quality and length of life for its citizens.
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