Life expectancy in South Africa: Your life will likely be cut short in this province…

While women across South Africa consistently outlive men, demographic data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reveals a sobering reality for those residing in the Free State, who currently suffer the lowest life expectancy in the country at just 64.2 years.

A province in crisis

The Free State is seemingly failing its residents. A toxic cocktail of poverty and economic stagnation means women – and men, who live to a devastatingly short 57.3 years – are dying younger here than anywhere else in South Africa.

This grim reality is compounded by severe socio-economic distress. An alarming 82.6% of older persons in the province are forced to rely entirely on state social grants to survive.

Furthermore, 22.6% of the elderly population languishes below the lower-bound poverty line, trapped in desperate cycles of debt and deteriorating health. With only 14.2% of older persons in the Free State able to afford medical aid, the dream of healthy, dignified ageing is an illusion for most of its residents.

Lowest life expectancy versus the ‘golden’ provinces

When examining the lowest life expectancy against the rest of the country, the contrast between the Free State and South Africa’s coastal and economic hubs is jarring.

If you are a woman living in the Western Cape, your life expectancy soars to a national high of 72.2 years, with men reaching 67.6 years. Gauteng follows closely behind, offering women an average lifespan of 71.2 years and men 65.3 years.

Life expectancy at birth per province (2021–2026)

(Source: Stats SA Mid-year Population Estimates, 2025 series)