Life expectancy men women in North Korea
North Korea: Life expectancy men women was 75.74 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
75.74
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
146th
of 236 countries
All-time high
75.86
in 2019
All-time low
21.12
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Life expectancy men women in North Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy men women in North Korea stood at 75.74.
That represents a change of up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy men women in North Korea peaked at 75.86 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 21.12, in 1950.
That places North Korea 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Life expectancy men women in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 21.12 | — |
| 1951 | 25.28 | +19.7% |
| 1952 | 39.56 | +56.5% |
| 1953 | 45.39 | +14.7% |
| 1954 | 52.46 | +15.6% |
| 1955 | 53.57 | +2.1% |
| 1956 | 54.57 | +1.9% |
| 1957 | 55.45 | +1.6% |
| 1958 | 56.24 | +1.4% |
| 1959 | 56.94 | +1.2% |
| 1960 | 57.59 | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 58.21 | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 58.82 | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 59.41 | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 60.01 | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 60.63 | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 61.27 | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 61.94 | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 62.62 | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 63.29 | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 63.95 | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 64.58 | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 65.2 | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 65.78 | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 66.34 | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 66.88 | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 67.42 | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 67.92 | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 68.44 | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 68.92 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 69.41 | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 69.89 | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 70.35 | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 70.79 | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 71.2 | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 71.58 | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 71.92 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 72.18 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 72.5 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 72.75 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 73 | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 73.28 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 73.79 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 73.79 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 73.69 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 63.59 | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 63.68 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 63.76 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 63.81 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 63.87 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 63.9 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 63.91 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 63.92 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 72.95 | +14.1% |
| 2004 | 72.9 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 72.81 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 72.74 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 72.64 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 72.79 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 72.96 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 73.26 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 73.57 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 73.92 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 74.3 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 74.68 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 74.99 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 75.2 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 75.46 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 75.64 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 75.86 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 75.69 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 75.49 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 75.72 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 75.74 | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 75.74 is above the median for low income countries, which is 66.36, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 75.74 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 75.84, 100% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy men women in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | +56.5% | 25.28 | 39.56 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 46.06 | 21.12 | 56.94 | 10 |
| 1960s | 60.38 | 57.59 | 63.29 | 10 |
| 1970s | 66.54 | 63.95 | 68.92 | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.26 | 69.41 | 72.75 | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.63 | 63.59 | 73.79 | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.15 | 63.9 | 72.96 | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.69 | 73.26 | 75.86 | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.66 | 75.49 | 75.74 | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 143 El Salvador 76.26 compare
- 144 Saint Kitts and Nevis 76.02 compare
- 145 American Samoa 75.84 compare
- 147 Moldova 75.53 compare
- 148 Honduras 75.5 compare
- 149 Uzbekistan 75.4 compare
More health data for North Korea
- 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 767 (2100)
- Population, female, per capita 0.5049 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, female, annual growth rate 0.1972 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.1271 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita 0.0541 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.073 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy men women in North Korea?
- Life expectancy men women in North Korea was 75.74 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy men women recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 75.86 in 2019.
- What is the lowest life expectancy men women recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.12 in 1950.
- How does North Korea rank for life expectancy men women?
- North Korea ranks 146th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy men women rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy men women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).