Mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea
South Korea: Mens life expectancy at birth was 81.19 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea is 81.19, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea peaked at 81.19 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.47, in 1950.
That places South Korea 18th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.47 | — |
| 1951 | 20.98 | +20.0% |
| 1952 | 31.7 | +51.1% |
| 1953 | 36.83 | +16.2% |
| 1954 | 43.94 | +19.3% |
| 1955 | 46.2 | +5.1% |
| 1956 | 48.06 | +4.0% |
| 1957 | 49.45 | +2.9% |
| 1958 | 49.54 | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 50.57 | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 51.38 | +1.6% |
| 1961 | 52.03 | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 52.65 | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 52.5 | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 52.66 | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 52.89 | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 52.46 | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 57.24 | +9.1% |
| 1968 | 57.15 | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 57.72 | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 58.47 | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 58.9 | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 59.35 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 59.85 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 60.24 | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 60.6 | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 60.88 | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 60.34 | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 60.48 | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 61.46 | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 60.53 | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 62.43 | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 62.51 | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 62.32 | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 63.69 | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 63.92 | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 64.54 | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 64.92 | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 65.71 | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 66.34 | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 66.79 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 67.24 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 68.06 | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 68.61 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 68.79 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 69.34 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 70.01 | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 70.51 | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 71.01 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 71.68 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 72.32 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 72.99 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 73.42 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 73.84 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 74.28 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 74.84 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 75.4 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 75.86 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 76.32 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 76.9 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 77.06 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 77.51 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 77.69 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 78.23 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 78.74 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 79.02 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 79.44 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 79.85 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 79.94 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 80.34 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 80.28 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 80.52 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 79.57 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 81.19 | +2.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 81.19 is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.86, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 81.19 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 69.86, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mens life expectancy at birth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | +51.1% | 20.98 | 31.7 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 39.47 | 17.47 | 50.57 | 10 |
| 1960s | 53.87 | 51.38 | 57.72 | 10 |
| 1970s | 60.06 | 58.47 | 61.46 | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.69 | 60.53 | 66.34 | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.2 | 66.79 | 71.68 | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.62 | 72.32 | 76.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.78 | 77.06 | 80.34 | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.39 | 79.57 | 81.19 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
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 mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea?
- Mens life expectancy at birth in South Korea was 81.19 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mens life expectancy at birth recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 81.19 in 2023.
- What is the lowest mens life expectancy at birth recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.47 in 1950.
- How does South Korea rank for mens life expectancy at birth?
- South Korea ranks 18th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is mens life expectancy at birth rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. 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 Mens life expectancy at birth. 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).