Annual death rates at different ages in Korea
Korea: Annual death rates at different ages was 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2.08 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
222nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
204.25 deaths per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
2.08 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Annual death rates at different ages in Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Korea recorded 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people for annual death rates at different ages in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual death rates at different ages in Korea peaked at 204.25 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Korea 222nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual death rates at different ages in Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 204.25 deaths per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 186.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.8% |
| 1952 | 167.85 deaths per 1,000 people | -9.9% |
| 1953 | 150.32 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.4% |
| 1954 | 134.53 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.5% |
| 1955 | 121 deaths per 1,000 people | -10.1% |
| 1956 | 109.83 deaths per 1,000 people | -9.2% |
| 1957 | 101.22 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.8% |
| 1958 | 93.82 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.3% |
| 1959 | 88.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.2% |
| 1960 | 83.09 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.6% |
| 1961 | 79.03 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1962 | 75.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1963 | 71.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1964 | 68.38 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 64.99 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1966 | 61.38 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.6% |
| 1967 | 57.77 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1968 | 54.25 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1969 | 51.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1970 | 47.7 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.5% |
| 1971 | 44.82 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1972 | 42.49 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1973 | 40.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 1974 | 38.06 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1975 | 36.32 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1976 | 34.72 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 33.27 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 31.64 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1979 | 30.06 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1980 | 28.41 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1981 | 26.69 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1982 | 24.9 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1983 | 23.1 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.2% |
| 1984 | 21.38 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.4% |
| 1985 | 19.61 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1986 | 17.98 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1987 | 16.52 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.1% |
| 1988 | 15.05 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.9% |
| 1989 | 13.79 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1990 | 12.7 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.9% |
| 1991 | 11.65 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1992 | 10.71 deaths per 1,000 people | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 9.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 9.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.5% |
| 1995 | 8.48 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 7.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.9% |
| 1997 | 7.33 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 6.97 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 6.45 deaths per 1,000 people | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 6.06 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 5.71 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.7% |
| 2002 | 5.38 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 5.04 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.3% |
| 2004 | 4.71 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 4.41 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 4.13 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 3.86 deaths per 1,000 people | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 3.63 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 3.44 deaths per 1,000 people | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 3.28 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 3.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 3.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 2.92 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.83 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 2.74 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.65 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.49 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 2.41 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 2.33 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 2.23 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 2.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.46 deaths per 1,000 people, 47% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Korea's 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 13.27 deaths per 1,000 people, 16% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 135.71 deaths per 1,000 people | 88.02 deaths per 1,000 people | 204.25 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 66.71 deaths per 1,000 people | 51.02 deaths per 1,000 people | 83.09 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.91 deaths per 1,000 people | 30.06 deaths per 1,000 people | 47.7 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.74 deaths per 1,000 people | 13.79 deaths per 1,000 people | 28.41 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.12 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.45 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.7 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.63 deaths per 1,000 people | 3.44 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.06 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.81 deaths per 1,000 people | 2.41 deaths per 1,000 people | 3.28 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2 deaths per 1,000 people | 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people | 2.33 deaths per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More health data for Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0124 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual death rates at different ages in Korea?
- Annual death rates at different ages in Korea was 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual death rates at different ages recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 204.25 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest annual death rates at different ages recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.08 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Korea rank for annual death rates at different ages?
- Korea ranks 222nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual death rates at different ages rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual death rates at different ages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Death rate, calculated as the number of deaths divided by the average number of people alive during the interval.