North Korea vs South Korea: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 73.6 years in North Korea and 84.3 years in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Korea, by 10.7 years, or 1.15 times that in North Korea.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

North KoreaSouth KoreaEstimates, Our World in DataUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1988, when it overtook North Korea.
In 2023, North Korea ranked 126 and South Korea ranked 5 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts North Korea at 83.8 years and South Korea at 93.1 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 73.2 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	North Korea	South Korea	World
2023	73.6	84.3	73.2
2022	73.6	82.7	72.6
2021	73.4	83.9	70.9
2020	72.8	83.7	71.9
2019	72.9	83.7	72.6
2018	73	83.3	72.4
2017	73	83.3	72.1
2016	73	82.9	71.9
2015	72.8	82.5	71.6
2014	72.5	82.4	71.4
2013	71.9	81.8	71.1
2012	71.3	81.3	70.8
2011	70.8	81.2	70.4
2010	70.3	80.7	70.1
2009	69.7	80.6	69.7
2008	69.3	80	69.3
2007	69	79.4	69
2006	69.1	79	68.6
2005	69.2	78.5	68.1
2004	69.3	78	67.7
2003	69.4	77.5	67.4
2002	60.9	77.2	67.1
2001	60.9	76.9	66.8
2000	60.9	76.2	66.4
1999	60.9	75.6	66
1998	60.9	75	65.7
1997	60.9	74.5	65.5
1996	60.8	74	65.2
1995	60.8	73.4	64.9
1994	70.5	72.9	64.3
1993	70.8	72.8	64.4
1992	71	72.2	64.3
1991	70.7	71.4	64.1
1990	70.5	71	64
1989	70.3	70.7	63.8
1988	70.1	70.2	63.4
1987	69.8	69.3	63.2
1986	69.5	69	62.7
1985	69.2	68.4	62.2
1984	68.9	68.1	61.9
1983	68.5	66.7	61.5
1982	68.1	67.1	61.3
1981	67.7	67.1	60.9
1980	67.2	64.9	60.5
1979	66.8	66.1	60.2
1978	66.3	65	59.5
1977	65.8	64.6	59.2
1976	65.3	65	58.6
1975	64.8	64.7	58.3
1974	64.3	64.2	58.1
1973	63.8	63.8	57.7
1972	63.3	63.2	57.2
1971	62.7	62.7	56
1970	62.1	62.2	56.3
1969	61.4	61.4	56
1968	60.8	60.9	55.6
1967	60.1	60.9	55.1
1966	59.4	55.4	54.6
1965	58.8	55.8	54
1964	58.2	55.3	54.3
1963	57.6	55	53.7
1962	57	55	53.2
1961	56.4	54.4	50.4
1960	55.8	53.8	47.8
1959	55.2	52.9	49.6
1958	54.5	51.8	51.6
1957	53.7	51.6	51.1
1956	52.8	50.2	50.7
1955	51.8	48.4	50.2
1954	50.6	46.1	49.7
1953	40.3	40.5	48.8
1952	32.8	36.6	48.2
1951	17.7	26.6	47.1
1950	14.2	22.2	46.4
1942	44.9	44.9	–
1938	42.6	42.6	–
1933	37.4	37.4	–
1928	33.6	33.6	–
1923	29.5	29.5	–
1918	27	27	–
1913	25	25	–
1908	23.5	23.5	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	North Korea	South Korea	World
2024	73.772.5–74.9	84.483.5–85.3	73.3
2025	73.972.1–75.6	84.583.2–85.9	73.5
2026	7471.8–76	84.683.1–86.2	73.8
2027	74.171.6–76.4	84.783–86.6	73.9
2028	74.271.4–76.7	84.982.9–86.9	74.1
2029	74.371.4–77	8582.8–87.2	74.2
2030	74.571.2–77.3	85.182.8–87.5	74.4
2031	74.671.2–77.7	85.282.8–87.8	74.5
2032	74.770.9–78	85.382.8–88.1	74.7
2033	74.870.9–78.4	85.482.7–88.4	74.8
2034	7570.7–78.7	85.582.8–88.6	75
2035	75.170.8–79.1	85.682.8–88.9	75.1
2036	75.270.8–79.3	85.782.7–88.9	75.3
2037	75.370.7–79.7	85.882.8–89.2	75.4
2038	75.570.6–80	8682.8–89.5	75.5
2039	75.670.7–80.3	86.182.8–89.7	75.7
2040	75.770.7–80.4	86.282.8–90	75.8
2041	75.970.5–80.5	86.382.8–90.2	75.9
2042	7670.6–80.7	86.482.8–90.3	76.1
2043	76.170.5–80.9	86.582.9–90.5	76.2
2044	76.370.6–81.3	86.682.9–90.8	76.3
2045	76.470.5–81.5	86.882.8–90.8	76.5
2046	76.570.5–81.7	86.983–91	76.6
2047	76.770.5–82	8782.9–91.3	76.7
2048	76.870.4–82.3	87.182.9–91.5	76.8
2049	76.970.3–82.5	87.282.8–91.9	76.9
2050	77.170.3–82.7	87.382.8–91.9	77
2051	77.270.3–83	87.582.9–92.1	77.1
2052	77.370.3–83.2	87.682.9–92.3	77.2
2053	77.570.4–83.4	87.783–92.5	77.3
2054	77.670.4–83.4	87.882.9–92.5	77.4
2055	77.770.5–83.8	87.983–92.9	77.6
2056	77.970.9–84	8883.1–93.1	77.7
2057	7870.7–84.1	88.183.1–93.2	77.8
2058	78.170.7–84.2	88.383.3–93.7	77.9
2059	78.370.6–84.3	88.483.3–93.7	78
2060	78.471–84.8	88.583.3–93.9	78.1
2061	78.670.9–84.8	88.683.3–94.1	78.2
2062	78.770.9–85.1	88.783.2–94.3	78.3
2063	78.871.2–85.3	88.883.4–94.3	78.4
2064	7971.1–85.5	88.983.5–94.7	78.5
2065	79.171.1–85.6	8983.5–94.8	78.6
2066	79.271–85.8	89.283.7–95.2	78.7
2067	79.471.1–86.1	89.383.7–95.4	78.8
2068	79.571.3–86.2	89.483.9–95.4	78.9
2069	79.771.3–86.1	89.583.8–95.7	79
2070	79.871.3–86.4	89.683.8–95.9	79.1
2071	79.971.4–86.6	89.783.8–96	79.2
2072	80.171.1–86.6	89.883.9–96.4	79.3
2073	80.271.1–86.9	9084–96.5	79.4
2074	80.471.2–87.1	90.183.8–96.7	79.4
2075	80.571.3–87.1	90.283.7–96.9	79.5
2076	80.671.2–87.4	90.383.9–97.2	79.6
2077	80.871.2–87.6	90.483.9–97.2	79.7
2078	80.971.4–87.8	90.583.8–97.3	79.8
2079	8171.2–87.9	90.683.8–97.5	79.9
2080	81.271.5–88.1	90.783.9–97.7	80
2081	81.371.5–88.5	90.984–97.9	80.1
2082	81.471.7–88.6	9183.8–98.1	80.2
2083	81.671.7–88.4	91.184–98.3	80.3
2084	81.771.9–88.7	91.284–98.5	80.3
2085	81.871.9–88.8	91.384–98.6	80.4
2086	8272–89	91.484.2–98.7	80.5
2087	82.171.9–89.1	91.684.4–98.9	80.6
2088	82.372–89.2	91.784.3–99	80.7
2089	82.472–89.3	91.884.4–99.4	80.8
2090	82.572.2–89.6	91.984.4–99.5	80.9
2091	82.672.1–89.7	92.184.5–99.8	81
2092	82.872.2–89.9	92.284.8–99.8	81
2093	82.971.9–89.9	92.384.9–100.1	81.1
2094	8372.2–90.1	92.484.9–100.4	81.2
2095	83.272.3–90.3	92.584.9–100.8	81.3
2096	83.372.4–90.6	92.785.1–100.9	81.4
2097	83.472.2–90.7	92.885.2–101.1	81.5
2098	83.572.3–90.9	92.985.3–101.4	81.6
2099	83.772.4–91	9385.3–101.5	81.7
2100	83.872.6–91.2	93.185.4–101.6	81.7

Each country on its own

Good to know

How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
Before 1950: Our World in Data, long-run life expectancy.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

North Korea vs South Korea: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

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