Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) in North Korea
North Korea: Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) was 73.64 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
73.64 years
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
133rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
73.64 years
in 2023
All-time low
14.2 years
in 1950
Years of data
82
1908–2023
Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita in North Korea, 1908–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 73.64 years for life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 82 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in North Korea peaked at 73.64 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14.2 years, in 1950.
That places North Korea 133rd 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 82 years of available data.
Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 23.51 years | — |
| 1913 | 24.98 years | +6.3% |
| 1918 | 26.98 years | +8.0% |
| 1923 | 29.53 years | +9.5% |
| 1928 | 33.6 years | +13.8% |
| 1933 | 37.39 years | +11.3% |
| 1938 | 42.57 years | +13.9% |
| 1942 | 44.89 years | +5.4% |
| 1950 | 14.2 years | -68.4% |
| 1951 | 17.66 years | +24.4% |
| 1952 | 32.79 years | +85.6% |
| 1953 | 40.26 years | +22.8% |
| 1954 | 50.63 years | +25.8% |
| 1955 | 51.77 years | +2.2% |
| 1956 | 52.78 years | +2.0% |
| 1957 | 53.68 years | +1.7% |
| 1958 | 54.48 years | +1.5% |
| 1959 | 55.17 years | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 55.81 years | +1.2% |
| 1961 | 56.41 years | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 57 years | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 57.58 years | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 58.17 years | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 58.79 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% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 73.64 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 73.64 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85 years, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita (Riley; Zijdeman) 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 | +85.6% | 17.66 years | 32.79 years |
| 1950 | -68.4% | 44.89 years | 14.2 years |
| 1954 | +25.8% | 40.26 years | 50.63 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 23.51 years | 23.51 years | 23.51 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 25.98 years | 24.98 years | 26.98 years | 2 |
| 1920s | 31.57 years | 29.53 years | 33.6 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 39.98 years | 37.39 years | 42.57 years | 2 |
| 1940s | 44.89 years | 44.89 years | 44.89 years | 1 |
| 1950s | 42.34 years | 14.2 years | 55.17 years | 10 |
| 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 | 73.38 years | 72.78 years | 73.64 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 130 Kazakhstan 74.4 years compare
- 131 Paraguay 73.84 years compare
- 132 Dominican Republic 73.72 years compare
- 134 Suriname 73.63 years compare
- 135 Belize 73.57 years compare
- 136 Trinidad and Tobago 73.49 years compare
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,462 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 767 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 21, male, interpolated 174,844 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, male, interpolated 168,398 (2025)
- Age population, age 18, female, interpolated 159,845 (2025)
- Age population, age 18, male, interpolated 167,527 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in North Korea?
- Life expectancy vs. gdp per capita in North Korea was 73.64 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy vs. gdp per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 73.64 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy vs. gdp per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2 years in 1950.
- How does North Korea rank for life expectancy vs. gdp per capita?
- North Korea ranks 133rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.