Life expectancy in North Korea
North Korea: Life expectancy was 72.64 Years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in North Korea, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy in North Korea is 72.64 Years, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in North Korea peaked at 72.64 Years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 62.52 Years, in 2000.
North Korea ranks 87th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 62.52 Years | — |
| 2001 | 62.63 Years | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 62.79 Years | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 69.38 Years | +10.5% |
| 2004 | 69.5 Years | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 69.63 Years | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 69.7 Years | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 69.69 Years | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 69.8 Years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 69.87 Years | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 70.02 Years | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 70.26 Years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 70.53 Years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 70.84 Years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 71.14 Years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 71.41 Years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 71.62 Years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 71.92 Years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 72.11 Years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 72.32 Years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 72.38 Years | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 72.64 Years | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 67.55 Years | 62.52 Years | 69.87 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.22 Years | 70.02 Years | 72.32 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.51 Years | 72.38 Years | 72.64 Years | 2 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 767 deaths (2100)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,462 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 16, male, interpolated 166,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 18, female, interpolated 159,845 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, male, interpolated 168,398 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, female, interpolated 160,530 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in North Korea?
- Life expectancy in North Korea was 72.64 Years in 2021, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 72.64 Years in 2021.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.52 Years in 2000.
- How does North Korea rank for life expectancy?
- North Korea ranks 87th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The period life expectancy at birth, in a given year.