South Africa vs South Korea: Life expectancy

Life expectancy in 2023: 66.1 years in South Africa and 84.3 years in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Korea, by 18.2 years, or 1.28 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

South AfricaSouth KoreaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1955, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, South Africa ranked 194 and South Korea ranked 5 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts South Africa at 77.3 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	South Africa	South Korea	World
2023	66.1	84.3	73.2
2022	65.5	82.7	72.6
2021	62	83.9	70.9
2020	65.2	83.7	71.9
2019	66.1	83.7	72.6
2018	65.7	83.3	72.4
2017	65.4	83.3	72.1
2016	64.8	82.9	71.9
2015	64.1	82.5	71.6
2014	63.2	82.4	71.4
2013	62.4	81.8	71.1
2012	61.7	81.3	70.8
2011	60.6	81.2	70.4
2010	58.9	80.7	70.1
2009	57.4	80.6	69.7
2008	56	80	69.3
2007	55	79.4	69
2006	54.2	79	68.6
2005	53.9	78.5	68.1
2004	54	78	67.7
2003	54.3	77.5	67.4
2002	55.6	77.2	67.1
2001	57.2	76.9	66.8
2000	58.4	76.2	66.4
1999	59.2	75.6	66
1998	59.9	75	65.7
1997	60.5	74.5	65.5
1996	61.1	74	65.2
1995	61.6	73.4	64.9
1994	62.1	72.9	64.3
1993	62.6	72.8	64.4
1992	62.8	72.2	64.3
1991	63	71.4	64.1
1990	62.9	71	64
1989	63	70.7	63.8
1988	62.9	70.2	63.4
1987	62.7	69.3	63.2
1986	62.4	69	62.7
1985	62.2	68.4	62.2
1984	61.8	68.1	61.9
1983	61.4	66.7	61.5
1982	60.9	67.1	61.3
1981	60.5	67.1	60.9
1980	60	64.9	60.5
1979	59.5	66.1	60.2
1978	59	65	59.5
1977	58.5	64.6	59.2
1976	58	65	58.6
1975	57.6	64.7	58.3
1974	57.1	64.2	58.1
1973	56.7	63.8	57.7
1972	56.4	63.2	57.2
1971	56	62.7	56
1970	55.7	62.2	56.3
1969	55.4	61.4	56
1968	55.2	60.9	55.6
1967	55	60.9	55.1
1966	54.7	55.4	54.6
1965	54.4	55.8	54
1964	54.2	55.3	54.3
1963	53.9	55	53.7
1962	53.6	55	53.2
1961	53.1	54.4	50.4
1960	52.6	53.8	47.8
1959	51.9	52.9	49.6
1958	51.2	51.8	51.6
1957	50.2	51.6	51.1
1956	49.2	50.2	50.7
1955	48.2	48.4	50.2
1954	47.1	46.1	49.7
1953	46.1	40.5	48.8
1952	45.1	36.6	48.2
1951	44.1	26.6	47.1
1950	43.1	22.2	46.4
1942	–	44.9	–
1938	–	42.6	–
1933	–	37.4	–
1928	–	33.6	–
1923	–	29.5	–
1918	–	27	–
1913	–	25	–
1908	–	23.5	–

12.3Estimates, Our World in Data

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	South Africa	South Korea	World
2024	66.365–67.7	84.483.5–85.3	73.3
2025	66.564.5–68.5	84.583.2–85.9	73.5
2026	66.764.3–69	84.683.1–86.2	73.8
2027	66.864–69.6	84.783–86.6	73.9
2028	6763.8–70.1	84.982.9–86.9	74.1
2029	67.263.7–70.5	8582.8–87.2	74.2
2030	67.363.6–71	85.182.8–87.5	74.4
2031	67.563.6–71.2	85.282.8–87.8	74.5
2032	67.663.5–71.7	85.382.8–88.1	74.7
2033	67.863.5–71.9	85.482.7–88.4	74.8
2034	6863.4–72.3	85.582.8–88.6	75
2035	68.163.4–72.8	85.682.8–88.9	75.1
2036	68.363.2–73	85.782.7–88.9	75.3
2037	68.463.2–73.2	85.882.8–89.2	75.4
2038	68.663.1–73.3	8682.8–89.5	75.5
2039	68.763.3–73.9	86.182.8–89.7	75.7
2040	68.963.3–74	86.282.8–90	75.8
2041	6963.1–74.5	86.382.8–90.2	75.9
2042	69.263.1–74.7	86.482.8–90.3	76.1
2043	69.363.2–74.9	86.582.9–90.5	76.2
2044	69.563.3–75.2	86.682.9–90.8	76.3
2045	69.663.4–75.4	86.882.8–90.8	76.5
2046	69.863.4–75.8	86.983–91	76.6
2047	69.963.3–76	8782.9–91.3	76.7
2048	70.163.1–76.2	87.182.9–91.5	76.8
2049	70.263.1–76.5	87.282.8–91.9	76.9
2050	70.363.3–76.7	87.382.8–91.9	77
2051	70.563.6–77.1	87.582.9–92.1	77.1
2052	70.663.5–77.3	87.682.9–92.3	77.2
2053	70.863.3–77.8	87.783–92.5	77.3
2054	70.963.5–78	87.882.9–92.5	77.4
2055	7163.5–78.2	87.983–92.9	77.6
2056	71.263.5–78.7	8883.1–93.1	77.7
2057	71.363.7–78.9	88.183.1–93.2	77.8
2058	71.563.6–79.1	88.383.3–93.7	77.9
2059	71.663.7–79.5	88.483.3–93.7	78
2060	71.763.6–79.6	88.583.3–93.9	78.1
2061	71.963.7–79.8	88.683.3–94.1	78.2
2062	7263.7–79.9	88.783.2–94.3	78.3
2063	72.263.9–80.1	88.883.4–94.3	78.4
2064	72.364–80.4	88.983.5–94.7	78.5
2065	72.464.1–80.6	8983.5–94.8	78.6
2066	72.664.2–80.7	89.283.7–95.2	78.7
2067	72.764.1–81.3	89.383.7–95.4	78.8
2068	72.964.1–81.4	89.483.9–95.4	78.9
2069	7364.2–81.6	89.583.8–95.7	79
2070	73.164.2–82	89.683.8–95.9	79.1
2071	73.364.1–82.3	89.783.8–96	79.2
2072	73.464.4–82.5	89.883.9–96.4	79.3
2073	73.664.2–82.8	9084–96.5	79.4
2074	73.764.3–82.7	90.183.8–96.7	79.4
2075	73.864.5–82.9	90.283.7–96.9	79.5
2076	7464.5–83.2	90.383.9–97.2	79.6
2077	74.164.6–83.3	90.483.9–97.2	79.7
2078	74.364.5–83.7	90.583.8–97.3	79.8
2079	74.464.8–83.8	90.683.8–97.5	79.9
2080	74.564.6–84	90.783.9–97.7	80
2081	74.764.7–84.1	90.984–97.9	80.1
2082	74.864.7–84.2	9183.8–98.1	80.2
2083	7564.7–84.4	91.184–98.3	80.3
2084	75.164.7–84.6	91.284–98.5	80.3
2085	75.264.8–84.7	91.384–98.6	80.4
2086	75.464.8–84.8	91.484.2–98.7	80.5
2087	75.565–85.2	91.684.4–98.9	80.6
2088	75.765–85.2	91.784.3–99	80.7
2089	75.865.2–85.5	91.884.4–99.4	80.8
2090	75.965.3–85.5	91.984.4–99.5	80.9
2091	76.165.3–85.6	92.184.5–99.8	81
2092	76.265.2–85.8	92.284.8–99.8	81
2093	76.365.6–86.1	92.384.9–100.1	81.1
2094	76.565.5–86.2	92.484.9–100.4	81.2
2095	76.665.4–86.3	92.584.9–100.8	81.3
2096	76.865.3–86.5	92.785.1–100.9	81.4
2097	76.965.3–86.8	92.885.2–101.1	81.5
2098	77.165.3–86.9	92.985.3–101.4	81.6
2099	77.265.1–87.1	9385.3–101.5	81.7
2100	77.365.5–87.1	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

South Africa vs South Korea: Life expectancy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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