Life expectancy: England and Wales

68.47 years in 1949, the latest year published. Figures for 109 years from 1841 to 1949 are below.

Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.

Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Source and method · All countries and regions.

Every year

Year	Value (years)
1949	68.47
1948	68.83
1947	66.97
1946	66.93
1945	61.86
1944	62.74
1943	62.53
1942	63.21
1941	61.66
1940	60.59
1939	64.06
1938	63.72
1937	62.33
1936	62.28
1935	62.51
1934	61.74
1933	60.97
1932	61.02
1931	60.34
1930	61.29
1929	57.94
1928	60.44
1927	59.32
1926	60.03
1925	58.85
1924	58.7
1923	59.69
1922	57.59
1921	58.24
1920	56.52
1919	54.08
1918	40.9
1917	46
1916	48
1915	48.3
1914	52
1913	53.79
1912	54.51
1911	51.51
1910	53.95
1909	52.48
1908	51.81
1907	51.41
1906	50.56
1905	50.83
1904	49.09
1903	50.39
1902	49.05
1901	47.89
1900	46.3
1899	46.12
1898	46.96
1897	47.19
1896	47.37
1895	45.69
1894	48.3
1893	44.83
1892	45.46
1891	44.24
1890	44.72
1889	46.31
1888	46.78
1887	45.62
1886	45.29
1885	45.72
1884	44.74
1883	45.05
1882	44.83
1881	46.08
1880	43.73
1879	44.22
1878	42.98
1877	44.67
1876	43.65
1875	41.81
1874	42.07
1873	43.74
1872	42.87
1871	41.28
1870	40.91
1869	41.62
1868	41.97
1867	42.58
1866	40.38
1865	40.62
1864	39.93
1863	40.36
1862	42.47
1861	42.31
1860	42.94
1859	40.77
1858	39.99
1857	41.84
1856	43.21
1855	40.99
1854	39.3
1853	40.51
1852	40.87
1851	41.36
1850	42.75
1849	37.34
1848	39.46
1847	38.29
1846	39.91
1845	42.49
1844	41.49
1843	41.81
1842	41.3
1841	41.62