05. Mozambique – 41.2 years



Mozambique, or the Republic of Mozambique, is a country situated in the southeast area of Africa. It is bordered on the east by the Indian Ocean, on the north by Tanzania, on the northwest by Malawi and Zambia, on the west by Zimbabwe, and on the southwest by South Africa. The largest city, which is Maputo, is also its capital. Portuguese is the only official language spoken by the country’s residents. Some of the native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. There are around 24 million people who live here, most of them are Bantu. Mozambique is ranked fifth in this list of the 10 places with the shortest life expectancy, averaging only 41.18 years. Just like the other African countries on the list, extreme poverty and no access to medical facilities are the leading contributors to the citizens’ low life expectancy.

03. Zambia – 38.6 years



Zambia is a landlocked country located in the southern part of Africa. Its neighboring countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (north), Tanzania (north-east), Malawi (east), Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe (south), and Angola (west). Lusaka is its capital city, which is found in the south-central area of the country. Most of the residents live in Lusaka as well as in the Copperbelt Province. The life expectancy at birth in the country of Zambia is only 38.63 years. In fact, 64% of Zambians live on less than $1 a day.

01. Swaziland – 31.9 years



Swaziland, sometimes referred to as Swatini or Ngwane, is officially known as the Kingdom of Swaziland. This landlocked country is no larger than 200 km. The western part of it is mountainous, while the other half is dominated by the Lembobo Mountains’ escarpment. Swaziland takes the first spot in this list of the 10 places with the shortest life expectancy for having an average of only 31.9 years. More than two-thirds of the population are unable to meet even their most basic needs such as food and shelter. In addition, AIDS and chronic diseases are very rampant, which is further worsened by the lack of adequate health care facilities that are accessible to the public.