Monaco has the highest life expectancy in the world in 2026, at 86.7 years, followed by San Marino at 86.0 and Japan at 85.2. This list ranks the 20 countries with the longest life expectancy at birth, using United Nations estimates for 2026. The cut-off for the top 20 is 82.9 years.
| Rank | Country | Both sexes | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco | 86.7 | 88.8 | 84.8 |
| 2 | San Marino | 86.0 | 87.4 | 84.5 |
| 3 | Japan | 85.2 | 88.2 | 82.1 |
| 4 | South Korea | 84.6 | 87.5 | 81.6 |
| 5 | Andorra | 84.5 | 86.5 | 82.5 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 84.4 | 86.2 | 82.5 |
| 7 | Australia | 84.3 | 86.1 | 82.6 |
| 8 | Italy | 84.2 | 86.1 | 82.1 |
| 9 | Singapore | 84.1 | 86.6 | 81.7 |
| 10 | Spain | 84.1 | 86.7 | 81.4 |
| 11 | Liechtenstein | 84.1 | 85.6 | 82.4 |
| 12 | Malta | 83.8 | 85.6 | 81.9 |
| 13 | Norway | 83.8 | 85.2 | 82.3 |
| 14 | Sweden | 83.7 | 85.5 | 82.0 |
| 15 | France | 83.7 | 86.4 | 80.9 |
| 16 | United Arab Emirates | 83.4 | 84.5 | 82.6 |
| 17 | Iceland | 83.3 | 84.7 | 82.0 |
| 18 | Canada | 83.0 | 85.2 | 80.9 |
| 19 | Ireland | 82.9 | 84.9 | 81.0 |
| 20 | Israel | 82.9 | 84.9 | 80.8 |
The 20 countries with the highest life expectancy, ranked
1. Monaco: 86.7 years
Monaco is a city-state of about 39,000 people on the French Riviera, covering about two square kilometers. Its results are driven by wealth and small, dense, well-served population.
How we valued it: Monaco scores 86.73 overall. Women reach 88.85, men 84.78, and the difference is 4.1.
2. San Marino: 86.0 years
San Marino is a mountain republic of about 34,000 people surrounded by Italy. It is one of the oldest republics in the world.
How we valued it: combined, 86.03, with women at 87.44 and men at 84.54 (a 2.9-year gap).
3. Japan: 85.2 years
Japan leads every country with more than 100 million people. It has about 123 million. Women live about six years longer than men, one of the widest gaps on the list.
How we valued it: UN 2026 data give 85.15 at birth, split 88.18 for women and 82.13 for men, 6.1 years apart.
4. South Korea: 84.6 years
South Korea has added years faster than almost any country over the last half century and now sits fourth. It has about 51 million people.
How we valued it: its 84.64 is from the UN 2026 estimate; the women to men gap is 6.0 years (87.51 against 81.56).
5. Andorra: 84.5 years
Andorra is a small Pyrenees state of about 80,000 people between France and Spain.
How we valued it: lifespans at birth are 86.49 for female babies and 82.55 for male babies in the UN projection, a 3.9 difference that sets the headline 84.46.
6. Switzerland: 84.4 years
Switzerland leads Europe among countries with more than a million people. It has about 9 million people.
How we valued it: Switzerland scores 84.37 overall. Women reach 86.20, men 82.48, and the difference is 3.7.
7. Australia: 84.3 years
Australia is the only Southern Hemisphere country in the top ten. It has about 27 million people.
How we valued it: combined, 84.34, with women at 86.07 and men at 82.59 (a 3.5-year gap).
8. Italy: 84.2 years
Italy has about 59 million people. It ranks first among the large countries of the European Union.
How we valued it: UN 2026 data give 84.18 at birth, split 86.13 for women and 82.12 for men, 4.0 years apart.
9. Singapore: 84.1 years
Singapore is a city-state of about 6 million people and is the only Southeast Asian country here.
How we valued it: its 84.13 is from the UN 2026 estimate; the women to men gap is 4.9 years (86.60 against 81.68).
10. Spain: 84.1 years
Spain has about 49 million people.
How we valued it: lifespans at birth are 86.71 for female babies and 81.40 for male babies in the UN projection, a 5.3 difference that sets the headline 84.08.
11. Liechtenstein: 84.1 years
Liechtenstein is a tiny Alpine principality of about 40,000 people between Switzerland and Austria.
How we valued it: Liechtenstein scores 84.06 overall. Women reach 85.64, men 82.39, and the difference is 3.3.
12. Malta: 83.8 years
Malta is an island republic of about half a million people in the Mediterranean. It is new to the top 20 compared with 2015.
How we valued it: combined, 83.78, with women at 85.63 and men at 81.88 (a 3.8-year gap).
13. Norway: 83.8 years
Norway has about 5.5 million people and one of the highest male life expectancies in the list, at over 82 years.
How we valued it: UN 2026 data give 83.76 at birth, split 85.21 for women and 82.31 for men, 2.9 years apart.
14. Sweden: 83.7 years
Sweden has about 10.5 million people. It has risen from 82 years in our 2015 edition to nearly 84 now.
How we valued it: its 83.73 is from the UN 2026 estimate; the women to men gap is 3.4 years (85.45 against 82.03).
15. France: 83.7 years
France has about 68 million people. Its gap between women and men is over five years, one of the larger gaps in this table.
How we valued it: lifespans at birth are 86.42 for female babies and 80.87 for male babies in the UN projection, a 5.5 difference that sets the headline 83.70.
16. United Arab Emirates: 83.4 years
The UAE is new to the top 20 compared with 2015. It has the smallest gap between women and men among the 20, at under two years, and a young population.
How we valued it: United Arab Emirates scores 83.39 overall. Women reach 84.55, men 82.57, and the difference is 2.0.
17. Iceland: 83.3 years
Iceland has about 390,000 people and a small gap between women and men of under three years.
How we valued it: combined, 83.30, with women at 84.69 and men at 81.96 (a 2.7-year gap).
18. Canada: 83.0 years
Canada has about 41 million people.
How we valued it: UN 2026 data give 83.05 at birth, split 85.16 for women and 80.94 for men, 4.2 years apart.
19. Ireland: 82.9 years
Ireland has about 5.4 million people and is new to the top 20 compared with 2015.
How we valued it: its 82.92 is from the UN 2026 estimate; the women to men gap is 3.8 years (84.86 against 81.01).
20. Israel: 82.9 years
Israel has about 10 million people. It takes the last place in the top 20, just ahead of Portugal at 82.89.
How we valued it: lifespans at birth are 84.94 for female babies and 80.80 for male babies in the UN projection, a 4.1 difference that sets the headline 82.90.
Which large countries rank highest?
Six of the top 20 have fewer than a million people. Among countries with more than 10 million people, the order is Japan, South Korea, Australia, Italy, Spain, Sweden and France. This is our own cut of the list, and it shows that long life is not only a small-state result.
Territories such as Hong Kong (85.90 years), Macao and French Polynesia are not countries, so we left them out. Hong Kong would rank third if included.
Why do women outlive men everywhere in the top 20?
The gap between women and men runs from about two years in the UAE to about six years in Japan. We calculated each gap as the female minus the male figure from the same estimate. In every country on the list, women live longer.
What changed since 2015?
Our earlier list used WHO data for 2013 and put countries at 81 to 84 years. The 2026 estimates push the cut-off for the top 20 to 82.90 years. Austria, Cyprus, Luxembourg and New Zealand dropped out. Liechtenstein, Malta, the UAE and Ireland entered. Japan stays first among large countries and Monaco has moved from tenth to first.
FAQ
Which country has the highest life expectancy in 2026?
Monaco, at 86.7 years for both sexes. San Marino is second at 86.0 and Japan third at 85.2.
Which large country has the highest life expectancy?
Japan, at 85.2 years, followed by South Korea at 84.6.
Is Hong Kong on the list?
No, because it is a territory. Hong Kong’s life expectancy is 85.9 years, which would place it third.
How much longer do women live than men?
In the top 20, women live between about two and about six years longer. The gap is widest in Japan and South Korea and smallest in the UAE.
Where does the United States rank?
Outside the top 50 of the same UN table, which runs from Monaco down to the Isle of Man at 81.4 years.
Where do the figures come from?
They are UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates for 2026, which are projections for the current year, not a count of deaths.
How we put this list together
We ranked sovereign countries by UN life expectancy at birth for 2026, both sexes combined, and left out territories and the Holy See. Gaps and groupings are our own calculations from the same estimates.
Last updated: October 2026.
