Singapore’s life expectancy at birth has increased to 83.5 years in 2024, according to new data released by the Department of Statistics on Tuesday, May 27. This marks a steady improvement from 83.2 years in 2023 and reflects an overall gain of 0.9 years over the past decade, up from 82.6 years in 2014.
The figures are part of the Complete Life Tables for Singapore Resident Population, 2023-2024. The report highlighted that the rise in life expectancy comes after a temporary decline between 2020 and 2023, which was attributed to increased mortality during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person can expect to live, assuming current mortality rates remain constant throughout their lifetime. The data covers Singapore residents, which include both citizens and permanent residents.
Both men and women in Singapore have seen improvements in life expectancy over the last decade.
In 2024, women can expect to live 85.6 years on average, while the life expectancy for men stands at 81.2 years.
This represents an increase of 0.8 years for women and 0.9 years for men compared to figures from 2014, when the life expectancy was 84.8 years for women and 80.3 years for men.
The Department noted that while the pandemic had briefly reduced average life spans due to higher mortality rates, the current data shows a return to the longer-term trend of improving health and longevity among the population.
