
Australia has boasted the highest life expectancy at birth in the English-speaking world for the last three decades. A study by Penn State University researchers found that Australian women live nearly four years longer than their American counterparts, while men live five years longer. Within Australia, the state with the highest life expectancy varies by gender. For males, the highest life expectancy is in the Australian Capital Territory, at 81.7 years. For females, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia are tied at 85.7 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| State with the highest life expectancy for males | Australian Capital Territory |
| Life expectancy for males in the state | 81.7 years |
| State with the highest life expectancy for females | Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia |
| Life expectancy for females in the state | 85.7 years |
| State with the lowest life expectancy for males and females | Northern Territory |
| Life expectancy for males in the state | 76.4 years |
| Life expectancy for females in the state | 80.4 years |
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What You'll Learn

Life expectancy in the Australian Capital Territory
Australia has boasted the highest life expectancy at birth among English-speaking countries for the last three decades. A variety of factors have contributed to this, including effective public health campaigns, strict gun control measures, and a well-rated healthcare system.
Despite this overall positive trend, life expectancy in Australia has decreased over the last two years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), a boy born in Australia between 2021 and 2023 can be expected to live to 81.1 years on average, while a girl born in the same period can be expected to live to 85.1 years.
When comparing different states and territories within Australia, the Australian Capital Territory stands out for having the highest life expectancy for males, at 81.7 years. This is a slight increase from the previous year's estimate of 81.6 years. For females, the Australian Capital Territory shares the highest life expectancy with Western Australia, at 85.7 years.
The life expectancy in the Australian Capital Territory is notably higher than in other parts of Australia, such as the Northern Territory, which has the lowest life expectancy for both males and females. This variation within Australia is influenced by various factors, including urban-rural differences, socioeconomic status, lifestyle choices, and access to healthcare.
While Australia has experienced a recent dip in life expectancy due to the pandemic, it is important to note that over the last decade, life expectancy in the country has generally increased. This includes a rise of 1.0 years for males and 0.8 years for females in the Australian Capital Territory and other regions.
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Life expectancy in Western Australia
Australia has boasted the highest life expectancy at birth in the English-speaking world for the last three decades. The country's life expectancy at birth was 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females in 2021-2023, a slight decrease from the previous year.
The Australian Capital Territory had the highest life expectancy for males (81.7 years) in 2021-2023. Meanwhile, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia tied for the highest life expectancy for females (85.7 years) during the same period.
Western Australia's high female life expectancy is part of a broader trend of increasing longevity among Australians. Over the past three decades, female life expectancy in Australia has increased by almost five years, from 80.4 years in 1992 to 85.1 years in 2021-2023.
However, life expectancy rates in Australia are not uniform across the country. For instance, there is a growing disparity in life expectancy, health outcomes, and preventable deaths between Sydney and remote parts of western New South Wales (NSW). This disparity is attributed to various factors, including higher rates of suicide and dehydration in western NSW.
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Northern Territory life expectancy
The Northern Territory (NT) is an Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regions of Australia. It is sparsely populated, with a population of only 249,000 as of December 2021. The Northern Territory's population is the youngest in Australia, with a median age of 31 years. The territory has the largest proportion of people under 15 years of age (23.2%) and the smallest proportion (5.7%) aged 65 and over.
Indigenous Australians make up 30.3% of the population and own about 49% of the land. The life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is well below that of non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory. ABS statistics suggest that Indigenous Australians die about 11 years earlier than the average non-Indigenous Australian. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians was largest in the Northern Territory for both males (13.5 years lower) and females (13.8 years lower).
Life expectancy at birth in the Northern Territory has increased for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians since the 1960s. However, the gap in life expectancy between the two groups remains substantial. In the Northern Territory, life expectancy increased more rapidly for Indigenous people than for non-Indigenous people during 1999-2018, but the gap in life expectancy between the two groups was still about 15.4 years for both men and women.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, life expectancy at birth in the Northern Territory was 76.4 years for males and 80.4 years for females in 2021-2023, the lowest in Australia. During this period, life expectancy decreased across all states and territories for females and across most states and territories for males, except the Northern Territory, which recorded a 0.2-year increase.
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Australia's life expectancy vs. the US
Australia has had the highest life expectancy among English-speaking countries for the last three decades. According to a study by Penn State University, Australian women live nearly four years longer, and men live five years longer than their American counterparts. In 2019, American women had a life expectancy of 81.5 years, while men averaged 76.5 years. In comparison, Australia's life expectancy in 2021-2023 was 85.1 years for women and 81.1 years for men, a slight decrease from the previous year.
The Australian Capital Territory had the highest life expectancy for males (81.7 years) and shared the highest life expectancy for females (85.7 years) with Western Australia. In contrast, the Northern Territory had the lowest life expectancy for both males (76.4 years) and females (80.4 years).
Several factors contribute to Australia's higher life expectancy compared to the US. Australia has successfully addressed issues such as young adult mortality, gun deaths, homicides, and drug and alcohol use. Additionally, Australia has achieved better outcomes in managing chronic diseases, which can be attributed to lifestyle factors, health behaviours, and healthcare performance.
The implementation of policies such as gun law reforms and investments in public transit infrastructure has also played a role in Australia's higher life expectancy. These measures have resulted in lower traffic deaths and improved overall community safety. Furthermore, Australia's strong public health efforts, healthcare access, and community interventions encourage healthier lifestyles and the utilisation of preventive medicine, positively impacting life expectancy.
Australia's success in increasing life expectancy offers valuable lessons for the United States. By examining and adopting effective policies and practices, the US can strive to achieve higher life expectancy and lower geographic inequality in life expectancy across its states.
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Australia's gun law reforms
In Australia, the state with the highest life expectancy for males is the Australian Capital Territory, with an average life expectancy of 81.7 years. For females, the highest life expectancy is in the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, with an average of 85.7 years.
Australia has implemented several gun law reforms, particularly after the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, where 35 people were killed. This incident led to the National Firearms Agreement (NFA), which banned several types of firearms and resulted in the government buying back and destroying hundreds of thousands of weapons. Over 600,000 semi-automatic and pump-action rifles were compulsorily purchased and destroyed, and tens of thousands more were voluntarily surrendered. The NFA has been successful in reducing firearm-related deaths and suicides, with a "dramatic" reduction in firearm-related suicides, in particular, according to researchers from the Monash University Accident Research Centre. A 2006 study by Simon Chapman concluded that the 1996 gun law reforms resulted in over a decade free of fatal mass shootings and accelerated declines in firearm-related deaths.
The NFA has been subject to ongoing evaluation and analysis to understand its impact on firearm mortality and morbidity. Some studies have questioned the assumption that the NFA would immediately reduce firearm-related deaths, but overall, the NFA has been cited as an effective policy intervention. The success of the NFA in Australia has been noted internationally, particularly in the United States, where there is ongoing debate about gun control.
In addition to the NFA, Australia has implemented other measures to reduce gun violence. The importation of guns is regulated by the federal government, and a person must have a firearm license to possess or use a firearm. These measures, along with the NFA, have contributed to Australia's high life expectancy rankings, particularly when compared to countries with higher rates of gun violence, such as the United States. Australia has led the English-speaking world in life expectancy for the last three decades, with women living nearly four years longer and men living five years longer than their American counterparts, on average.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian Capital Territory has the highest life expectancy for males, at 81.7 years.
The Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia are tied for the highest life expectancy for females, at 85.7 years.
The Northern Territory has the lowest life expectancy for both males and females, at 76.4 years and 80.4 years, respectively.











































