Cohort life tables track the mortality experience of people born in each year from 1876.
Key facts
Cohort life tables give the most authoritative measure of life expectancy, because they follow the mortality and survival of each birth cohort (people born in a specific year) at each age until death of the last survivor.
Projections of remaining mortality enable a cohort life table to be completed when a birth cohort still has people alive. The results are based on National population projections: 2022(base)-2073.
Life expectancy from the latest cohort life tables show that newborn:
- boys born in the late 1870s (the earliest data available) could expect to live to around 51 years on average, and girls to around 55 years
- boys born in the early 1960s (who are reaching 65-years-old) could expect to live to around 79 years on average, and girls to around 83 years
- boys born in the early 2020s (the latest data available) could expect to live to around 88 years on average, and girls to around 91 years.
The latest cohort life tables show that having reached age 65 years:
- males born in the late 1870s could expect to live another 13 years on average, and females another 15 years
- males born in the early 1960s could expect to live another 21 years on average, and females another 24 years
- males born in the early 2020s could expect to live another 26 years on average, and females another 28 years.
Infant death rates from the latest cohort life tables show that:
- for people born in the late 1870s, there were around 154 male deaths aged under one year per 1,000 boys that age, and around 132 female deaths aged under one year per 1,000 girls that age
- for people born in the early 1960s, there were around 24 male deaths aged under one year per 1,000 boys that age, and around 18 female deaths aged under one year per 1,000 girls that age
- for people born in the early 2020s, there were around five male deaths aged under one year per 1,000 boys that age, and around four female deaths aged under one year per 1,000 girls that age.
The How long will I live? calculator is an interactive tool that gives people an indication of the age they will likely live to. Data in the calculator is based on these latest cohort life tables.
A History of Survival in New Zealand: Cohort life tables 1876-2004 has more information on the methods used to compile the cohort life tables.
Definitions and metadata
New Zealand cohort life tables - DataInfo+ provides additional technical details on the cohort life tables, including adjustments for under-registration of neonatal deaths.
Technical enquiries
Rebekah Hennessey
04 931 4600
[email protected]
ISSN 2422-8982
Next release
New Zealand cohort life tables: March 2026 update will be released in March 2026.
