India Life Expectancy by State, Gender and Residence
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 14 May 2017 - Updated: 30 Aug 2026
Publication Type: Data & Statistical Analysis
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This report presents statistical data on life expectancy across India's major states, broken down by gender and rural versus urban residence for the 2010-14 period. The information draws from authoritative sources including the United Nations Development Program India's Human Development Index Report and the Sample Registration Survey, making it particularly valuable for researchers, public health officials, and anyone examining demographic trends in South Asia. The data reveals important disparities - Kerala shows the highest life expectancy for both genders in rural areas while Madhya Pradesh and Assam lag behind, and urban residents consistently outlive their rural counterparts by several years. These statistics help seniors, healthcare planners, and disability advocates understand regional health inequalities that affect quality of life, access to medical care, and longevity outcomes across different Indian populations.
At a Glance
- 1 - Kerala recorded the highest rural life expectancy for both men and women. Madhya Pradesh had the lowest for rural males and Assam the lowest for rural females.
- 2 - Urban residents consistently outlived their rural counterparts by several years. This gap reaches nearly six years for women in Jammu and Kashmir.
- 3 - India's overall life expectancy stood at 67.9 years for the 2010 to 2014 period. Nearly all states recorded higher figures for females than for males.
- 4 - A century ago the average lifespan in India was as low as 23 years. Clean drinking water and better control of non-communicable diseases have driven much of the improvement since then.
Topic Definition
- Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is the average number of years a person can expect to live based on the current mortality rates and the prevailing distribution of health conditions within a population, as defined by the World Health Organization. It is most often measured at birth, yet it can also be calculated at later ages and broken down by variables such as gender, region, or rural versus urban residence to reveal how outcomes differ across a society. Because the figure rests on present-day death rates rather than any prediction of the future, it works as a snapshot of population health at a given moment, shaped by factors including access to clean water, nutrition, medical care, and the burden of disease. Governments, researchers, and health planners rely on life expectancy data to compare regions, track progress over time, and target the inequalities that determine how long different groups actually live.
Overview
Life expectancy in India has increased by more than ten years in the past twenty years. However, life expectancy in India still falls short of most developed and developing nations; the infant mortality rate is three times higher than China's and seven times higher than the U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO), defines life expectancy as; "the average number of years a person is expected to live on the basis of the current mortality rates and prevalence distribution of health states in a population".
The supply of clean drinking water and better control of non-communicable diseases are playing major roles in the increasing average lifespan of people in India - it was only a century ago that the average lifespan in India and South Korea was as low as 23 years. Life-threatening diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough have been eliminated completely, and India has also been recently declared a polio free nation. However, it is estimated that 20% of deaths among Indian males aged between 30 and 69 is attributable to the use of tobacco. As yet, India has found no remedy to some of the new issues that accompany civilization.
Almost all Indian States recorded a higher life expectancy for females in 2010-14 across both rural and urban areas.
- Kerala recorded the highest life expectancy at birth for both males and females in rural areas, Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest for males in urban areas, and Jammu and Kashmir for females in urban areas.
- The lowest life expectancy at birth was recorded in the State of Madhya Pradesh for rural males and Assam for rural females.
- In Urban, the lowest life expectancy at birth was recorded in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh for males and females respectively.
Also see our Average Life Span Expectancy Chart - a list of male and female lifespan expectant averages by country and average age to death.
The chart below shows life expectancy at birth, sex, and residence, in the larger Indian states. The statistics include total population as well as male and female components.
| Life Expectancy in India and Larger States (2010-14) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Rural | Urban | |||||||
| Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | |
| India | 67.9 | 66.4 | 69.6 | 66.7 | 65.1 | 68.4 | 71.5 | 70.0 | 73.2 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 68.5 | 66.3 | 70.8 | 66.9 | 64.6 | 69.3 | 72.8 | 70.7 | 75.2 |
| Assam | 63.9 | 62.7 | 65.5 | 63.0 | 61.9 | 64.6 | 70.3 | 69.1 | 71.8 |
| Bihar | 68.1 | 67.8 | 68.4 | 67.8 | 67.5 | 68.1 | 70.7 | 70.2 | 71.3 |
| Chhattisgarh | 64.8 | 63.3 | 66.3 | 64.2 | 62.8 | 65.5 | 68.1 | 66.1 | 70.2 |
| Delhi | 73.2 | 72.0 | 74.7 | 71.2 | 69.5 | 72.9 | 73.5 | 72.3 | 75.0 |
| Gujarat | 68.7 | 66.6 | 71.0 | 67.1 | 64.6 | 70.0 | 71.3 | 69.9 | 72.9 |
| Haryana | 68.6 | 66.3 | 71.3 | 67.7 | 65.2 | 70.8 | 70.6 | 68.9 | 72.5 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 71.6 | 69.3 | 74.1 | 71.2 | 68.8 | 73.8 | 76.3 | 75.2 | 77.8 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 72.6 | 70.9 | 74.9 | 71.6 | 70.2 | 73.6 | 76.2 | 73.6 | 79.6 |
| Jharkhand | 66.6 | 66.2 | 66.9 | 65.6 | 65.4 | 65.8 | 71.5 | 70.5 | 72.6 |
| Karnataka | 68.8 | 66.9 | 70.8 | 67.3 | 65.1 | 69.6 | 71.9 | 70.5 | 73.3 |
| Kerala | 74.9 | 72.0 | 77.8 | 74.9 | 71.7 | 78.1 | 75.0 | 72.7 | 77.1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 64.2 | 62.5 | 66.0 | 63.0 | 61.3 | 65.0 | 68.9 | 67.4 | 70.6 |
| Maharashtra | 71.6 | 69.9 | 73.6 | 70.4 | 68.4 | 72.4 | 73.5 | 71.9 | 75.2 |
| Odisha | 65.8 | 64.7 | 67.1 | 65.2 | 64.1 | 66.5 | 69.8 | 68.7 | 71.0 |
| Punjab | 71.6 | 69.7 | 73.8 | 70.4 | 68.5 | 72.4 | 73.7 | 71.6 | 76.2 |
| Rajasthan | 67.7 | 65.5 | 70.2 | 67.0 | 64.6 | 69.7 | 70.5 | 69.0 | 72.2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 70.6 | 68.6 | 72.7 | 69.2 | 67.2 | 71.3 | 72.5 | 70.5 | 74.5 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 64.1 | 62.9 | 65.4 | 63.3 | 62.1 | 64.7 | 67.8 | 66.8 | 68.9 |
| Uttrakhand | 71.7 | 69.1 | 74.5 | 71.0 | 68.0 | 74.3 | 74.1 | 73.3 | 75.0 |
| West Bengal | 70.2 | 68.9 | 71.6 | 69.4 | 68.0 | 70.8 | 72.2 | 71.0 | 73.6 |
Data Sources: Human Development Index Report, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) India and Sample Registration Survey (SRS) based life table 2010-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was India overall life expectancy in 2010 to 2014
India recorded an overall life expectancy at birth of 67.9 years, with 66.4 years for males and 69.6 years for females.
Which Indian state had the highest life expectancy
Kerala had the highest overall life expectancy at 74.9 years, leading for both males and females in rural areas.
Which state recorded the lowest life expectancy
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh recorded among the lowest figures, with Madhya Pradesh lowest for rural males at 61.3 years.
Why do urban Indians live longer than rural residents
Urban areas generally offer better access to healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation, which raises life expectancy by several years over rural areas.
Where did the life expectancy data come from
The figures draw on the UNDP India Human Development Index Report and the Sample Registration Survey based life table for 2010 to 2014.
How much has life expectancy in India improved
Life expectancy in India rose by more than ten years over the past twenty years, driven by clean water and disease control.
How does tobacco affect life expectancy in India
An estimated 20 percent of deaths among Indian males aged 30 to 69 are attributable to tobacco use, shortening many lives.
How does India compare with China and the United States
India infant mortality rate is about three times higher than China and roughly seven times higher than the United States.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: What stands out most in this data isn't just the numerical differences between states - it's what those numbers tell us about the lived reality of millions of people. A seven-year gap between Kerala and Madhya Pradesh represents entire childhoods, careers cut short, grandchildren never met. The urban-rural divide, particularly stark in states like Jammu & Kashmir where it reaches nearly six years for women, speaks to fundamental inequities in healthcare access, nutrition, and environmental conditions that policy alone has yet to bridge. As India continues modernizing at breakneck speed, these figures remind us that geography and gender still dictate not just how people live, but how long they get to live at all.
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability, a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.