Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in North Korea
North Korea: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) was 73.74 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
73.74 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
120th
of 218 countries
All-time high
73.74 years
in 2024
All-time low
55.81 years
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea stood at 73.74 years. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea peaked at 73.74 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 55.81 years, in 1960.
North Korea ranks 120th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 55.81 years | — |
| 1961 | 56.41 years | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 57 years | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 57.58 years | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 58.17 years | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 58.78 years | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 59.42 years | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 60.09 years | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 60.76 years | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 61.41 years | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 62.05 years | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 62.66 years | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 63.25 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 63.82 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 64.33 years | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 64.83 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 65.33 years | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 65.81 years | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 66.29 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 66.75 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 67.21 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 67.66 years | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 68.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 68.5 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 68.88 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 69.23 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 69.54 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 69.77 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 70.05 years | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 70.27 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 70.48 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 70.72 years | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 71.01 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 70.79 years | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 70.47 years | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 60.77 years | -13.8% |
| 1996 | 60.82 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 60.87 years | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 60.89 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60.91 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 60.91 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 60.89 years | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 60.88 years | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 69.4 years | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 69.29 years | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 69.17 years | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 69.06 years | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 69.02 years | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 69.3 years | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 69.7 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 70.25 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 70.77 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 71.32 years | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 71.87 years | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 72.45 years | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 72.83 years | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 72.97 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 73.03 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 73.02 years | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 72.93 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 72.78 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 73.44 years | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 73.64 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 73.64 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 73.74 years | +0.1% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 73.74 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.84 years, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 73.74 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.99 years, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 58.54 years | 55.81 years | 61.41 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.51 years | 62.05 years | 66.75 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.92 years | 67.21 years | 70.27 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.77 years | 60.77 years | 71.01 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.76 years | 60.88 years | 69.7 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.14 years | 70.25 years | 73.03 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.45 years | 72.78 years | 73.74 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 767 (2100)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2022)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate -0.1528 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6836 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.073 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea was 73.74 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 73.74 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.81 years in 1960.
- How does North Korea rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- North Korea ranks 120th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.