In the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, life expectancy at birth continues to rise on average despite the onset of the COVID‑19 crisis, driven by the steady reduction in mortality at all ages, and particularly of infant and child mortality in all countries (see indicators “Infant mortality” and “Under age 5 mortality” in the following sections). These gains in longevity can be attributed to several factors, including rising living standards, better nutrition, and improved drinking water and sanitation facilities (see indicator “Water and sanitation” in Chapter 4). Healthier lifestyles, increased education, and greater access to quality health services also play an important role (Raleigh, 2019[1]).
Life expectancy at birth for the whole population across the LAC region reached 74.6 years on average in 2024, a gain of 2.4 years since 2010. In comparison, OECD countries gained 2.0 years during the same period (Figure 3.1, left panel). However, a large regional divide persists in life expectancy at birth. The countries with the longest life expectancy in 2024 (or latest) were Chile and Costa Rica at around 81 years, closely followed by Panama at just below 80 years. In contrast, two countries in the LAC region had total life expectancies of less than 70 years (Haiti and Bolivia). In Haiti, a child born in 2024 can expect to live an average of 65 years.
Women tend to live longer than men do (Figure 3.1, right panel), but the degree of this disparity also varies across countries. The gender gap in life expectancy stood at 6 years on average across LAC33 countries in 2024, higher than the OECD countries average of 5.1 years. The gender difference was particularly large in El Salvador, with a more than 8.5 years gap, as well as in Venezuela, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Bahamas and Uruguay with gaps of seven years or more. Women also have greater rates of survival to age 65 (Figure 3.2), regardless of the economic status of the country. On average, across LAC countries, 84.1% of a cohort of new-born females would live to age 65, while only 74.1% of new-born males would live to age 65. Only in Costa Rica and Chile, more than 90% of new-born females are expected to live to age 65, still below the OECD average of 92%.
Higher national income – as measured by GDP per capita – is generally associated with higher life expectancy at birth (Figure 3.3). There were, however, some notable differences in life expectancy between countries with similar income per capita. For instance, Costa Rica and Chile had higher, and Guyana had lower life expectancies than predicted by their GDP per capita alone.
From a biological point of view, the male disadvantage in life expectancy may partly reflect biological mechanisms, including differences related to sex chromosomes and hormones, but these mechanisms remain insufficiently understood (Austad and Fischer, 2016[2]). Gender-based differences in life expectancy are also influenced by social mechanisms, such as reductions in maternal mortality over the past century, and by behavioural factors, as men face greater exposure to occupational hazards and engage more frequently in risky behaviours such as smoking and alcohol consumption (Hossin, 2021[3]).
