Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Greenland
Greenland: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 71.55 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
71.55 years
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
139th
of 215 countries
All-time high
71.97 years
in 2018
All-time low
61.81 years
in 1976
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Greenland, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Greenland is 71.55 years, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Greenland peaked at 71.97 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 61.81 years, in 1976.
That places Greenland 139th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Greenland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 63.12 years | — |
| 1971 | 63.05 years | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 62.8 years | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 62.45 years | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 62.03 years | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 61.83 years | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 61.81 years | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 61.84 years | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 63.41 years | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 63.95 years | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 63.45 years | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 63.07 years | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 63.19 years | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 63.3 years | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 63.47 years | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 63.83 years | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 64.25 years | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 64.65 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 64.58 years | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 64.67 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 65.07 years | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 65.03 years | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 65.2 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 65.59 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 65.9 years | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 65.64 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 65.77 years | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 65.8 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 66.16 years | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 66.5 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 66.1 years | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 66.2 years | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 66.61 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 67.18 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 67.73 years | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 68.24 years | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 68.62 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 69.05 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 69.37 years | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 69.78 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 70.08 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 70.26 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 70.55 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 70.84 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 71.06 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 71.48 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 71.84 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 71.93 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 71.97 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 71.94 years | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 71.85 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 71.81 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 71.54 years | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 71.55 years | +0.0% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 71.55 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 88% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 71.55 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.74 years, 90% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62.63 years | 61.81 years | 63.95 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.85 years | 63.07 years | 64.67 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.66 years | 65.03 years | 66.5 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.89 years | 66.1 years | 69.78 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.2 years | 70.08 years | 71.97 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.69 years | 71.54 years | 71.85 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More population data for Greenland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.75 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7286 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8929 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.65 (2100)
- Population density 0.0907 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1,776 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.65 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0.2882 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Greenland?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Greenland was 71.55 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 71.97 years in 2018.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.81 years in 1976.
- How does Greenland rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Greenland ranks 139th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release