Life expectancy (Our World) in South Korea
South Korea: Life expectancy (Our World) was 84.33 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
84.33
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
5th
of 236 countries
All-time high
84.33
in 2023
All-time low
22.23
in 1950
Years of data
82
1908–2023
Life expectancy in South Korea, 1908–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy in South Korea stood at 84.33. That is the highest value across all 82 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in South Korea peaked at 84.33 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.23, in 1950.
South Korea ranks 5th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 82 years of available data.
Life expectancy (Our World) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 23.51 | — |
| 1913 | 24.98 | +6.3% |
| 1918 | 26.98 | +8.0% |
| 1923 | 29.53 | +9.5% |
| 1928 | 33.6 | +13.8% |
| 1933 | 37.39 | +11.3% |
| 1938 | 42.57 | +13.9% |
| 1942 | 44.89 | +5.4% |
| 1950 | 22.23 | -50.5% |
| 1951 | 26.64 | +19.9% |
| 1952 | 36.57 | +37.3% |
| 1953 | 40.51 | +10.8% |
| 1954 | 46.08 | +13.8% |
| 1955 | 48.35 | +4.9% |
| 1956 | 50.2 | +3.8% |
| 1957 | 51.55 | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 51.84 | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 52.94 | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 53.76 | +1.6% |
| 1961 | 54.44 | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 55.03 | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 54.99 | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 55.34 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 55.78 | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 55.42 | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 60.87 | +9.8% |
| 1968 | 60.87 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 61.43 | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 62.18 | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 62.67 | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 63.22 | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 63.77 | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 64.24 | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 64.67 | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 65.01 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 64.62 | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 64.96 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 66.11 | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 64.85 | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 67.14 | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 67.06 | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 66.73 | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 68.11 | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 68.41 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 69.03 | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 69.31 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 70.16 | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 70.68 | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 70.99 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 71.4 | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 72.18 | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 72.75 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 72.89 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 73.38 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 74.02 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 74.53 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 75.03 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 75.62 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 76.24 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 76.92 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 77.23 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 77.5 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 77.96 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 78.45 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 79.03 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 79.43 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 80 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 80.55 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 80.72 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 81.17 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 81.31 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 81.84 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 82.36 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.54 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 82.92 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 83.28 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 83.34 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 83.68 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 83.68 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 83.85 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 82.73 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 84.33 | +1.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 84.33 is above the median for high income countries, which is 81, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 84.33 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy (Our World) in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -50.5% | 44.89 | 22.23 |
| 1952 | +37.3% | 26.64 | 36.57 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 23.51 | 23.51 | 23.51 | 1 |
| 1910s | 25.98 | 24.98 | 26.98 | 2 |
| 1920s | 31.57 | 29.53 | 33.6 | 2 |
| 1930s | 39.98 | 37.39 | 42.57 | 2 |
| 1940s | 44.89 | 44.89 | 44.89 | 1 |
| 1950s | 42.69 | 22.23 | 52.94 | 10 |
| 1960s | 56.79 | 53.76 | 61.43 | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.14 | 62.18 | 66.11 | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.15 | 64.85 | 70.68 | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.28 | 70.99 | 75.62 | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.33 | 76.24 | 80.55 | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.32 | 80.72 | 83.68 | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.65 | 82.73 | 84.33 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 2 San Marino 85.71 compare
- 3 Hong Kong 85.51 compare
- 4 Japan 84.71 compare
- 6 Saint Barthelemy 84.29 compare
- 7 French Polynesia 84.07 compare
- 8 Andorra 84.04 compare
More health data for South 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 69 (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 life expectancy in South Korea?
- Life expectancy in South Korea was 84.33 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 84.33 in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.23 in 1950.
- How does South Korea rank for life expectancy?
- South Korea ranks 5th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 82 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).