As at 12 October 2026 · official data unless labelled
Life expectancy at birth
83 yearsBetter than the OECD median▼ 0.2 years2023vs OECD median 81.9 years
What the numbers are telling us
Life expectancy at birth was 83 years in 2023, down 0.2 years on the previous reading (83.2 years).
It is close to its 10-year average of 82.8 years.
Across 37 OECD countries (2023), Australia ranks 10th best of 37 on life expectancy, above the median of 81.9 years.
Why it matters
The most widely used summary of a population's health.
What it should be
There is no official target, so Australia is judged against comparable countries: higher than the OECD median is better. The OECD median is 81.9 years.
Life expectancy: the last 14 readings
Life expectancy at birth, 2010 to 2023
Australia ranks 10th best of 37 OECD countries
Life expectancy, 2023; OECD median 81.9 years
Switzerland84.3
Japan84.1
Spain84
Israel83.8
Italy83.5
Korea83.5
Luxembourg83.4
Sweden83.4
Norway83.1
Australia83
France83
Ireland82.9
Every figure on this page is calculated from the stored official series (OECD, How's Life? Current well-being (OECD WISE)); the summary is written from the numbers, not edited by hand.