Japan vs Republic of Korea: Life expectancy
Japan
84.69 years
in 2020
Republic of Korea
83.61 years
in 2020
Japan rank
2nd
Republic of Korea rank
4th
Life expectancy over time
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 84.69 years against 83.61 years in Republic of Korea, a difference of 1.08 years.
Across all 24 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 2nd and Republic of Korea ranks 4th of 162 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 15 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Republic of Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 36.6 years | 25 years | 11.6 years | Japan |
| 1880s | 37.42 years | 25 years | 12.42 years | Japan |
| 1890s | 37.68 years | 25 years | 12.68 years | Japan |
| 1900s | 38.6 years | 25 years | 13.6 years | Japan |
| 1910s | 40.44 years | 25 years | 15.44 years | Japan |
| 1920s | 44.16 years | 31.55 years | 12.6 years | Japan |
| 1930s | 47.63 years | 39.98 years | 7.65 years | Japan |
| 1950s | 62.47 years | 49.58 years | 12.89 years | Japan |
| 1960s | 68.97 years | 55.62 years | 13.35 years | Japan |
| 1970s | 73.18 years | 63.1 years | 10.08 years | Japan |
| 1980s | 76.97 years | 67.25 years | 9.72 years | Japan |
| 1990s | 79.33 years | 72.94 years | 6.39 years | Japan |
| 2000s | 81.59 years | 77.49 years | 4.1 years | Japan |
| 2010s | 83.41 years | 81.66 years | 1.74 years | Japan |
| 2020s | 84.69 years | 83.61 years | 1.08 years | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy, Japan or Republic of Korea?
- Japan, at 84.69 years against 83.61 years in Republic of Korea as of 2020.
- What is the difference in life expectancy between Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 1.08 years, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
- How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for life expectancy?
- Japan ranks 2nd and Republic of Korea ranks 4th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.