After surviving a nasty car crash last year, Kevin Hart says the biggest gift he received on his 41st birthday is just to be alive.

The actor and comedian celebrated his birthday on a yacht on Monday (July 6) and posted on Instagram a smiling picture of himself on it against the backdrop of the ocean.

He wrote: "So blessed & so thankful to see the age 41....I'm lucky to be alive. There will never be another day that just goes by in my life that's not treated with the highest level of respect and appreciation. God is great!!!! Thank you....Happy B Day to me... #LiveLoveLaugh."

Last September, Hart, who is expecting a second baby with his wife Eniko, suffered major injuries after his car veered off the highway in Malibu Hills, California, smashed through a wooden fence and ended up in a ditch about three metres away, Fox News reported.

He reportedly fractured his spine in three places and had to use a walker to take his first few steps after the accident.

In an Oct 30 video he shared on Instagram of his rehabilitation process, he displayed a positive attitude.

"When God talks, you got to listen," he said in the footage, which showed him taking steps with a walker as health aides on both sides guided him.

"In this case, I honestly feel like God told me to sit down. You know, you're moving too fast, you're doing too much sometimes you can't see the things you're meant to see."