North Korea
Life expectancy in North Korea
Life expectancy in North Korea: 14.2 years in 1950 and 73.6 years in 2023, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2023
- 73.6 years
- Since 1950
- +59.4 years
- Rank, 2023
- 126 of 229
- counting from the highest
- World, 2023
- 73.2 years
- Projected, 2100
- 83.8 years
- UN projection (medium variant)
years · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 83.8 years in 2100, between 72.6 years and 91.2 years (95% prediction interval).
- The highest was 73.6 years in 2022, the lowest 14.2 years in 1950.
- Older estimates from Our World in Data reach back to 1908: 23.5 years.
Every year
years · UN
| Year | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 73.6 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 73.6 | 72.6 |
| 2021 | 73.4 | 70.9 |
| 2020 | 72.8 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 72.9 | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 73 | 72.4 |
| 2017 | 73 | 72.1 |
| 2016 | 73 | 71.9 |
| 2015 | 72.8 | 71.6 |
| 2014 | 72.5 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 71.9 | 71.1 |
| 2012 | 71.3 | 70.8 |
| 2011 | 70.8 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 70.3 | 70.1 |
| 2009 | 69.7 | 69.7 |
| 2008 | 69.3 | 69.3 |
| 2007 | 69 | 69 |
| 2006 | 69.1 | 68.6 |
| 2005 | 69.2 | 68.1 |
| 2004 | 69.3 | 67.7 |
| 2003 | 69.4 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 60.9 | 67.1 |
| 2001 | 60.9 | 66.8 |
| 2000 | 60.9 | 66.4 |
| 1999 | 60.9 | 66 |
| 1998 | 60.9 | 65.7 |
| 1997 | 60.9 | 65.5 |
| 1996 | 60.8 | 65.2 |
| 1995 | 60.8 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 70.5 | 64.3 |
| 1993 | 70.8 | 64.4 |
| 1992 | 71 | 64.3 |
| 1991 | 70.7 | 64.1 |
| 1990 | 70.5 | 64 |
| 1989 | 70.3 | 63.8 |
| 1988 | 70.1 | 63.4 |
| 1987 | 69.8 | 63.2 |
| 1986 | 69.5 | 62.7 |
| 1985 | 69.2 | 62.2 |
| 1984 | 68.9 | 61.9 |
| 1983 | 68.5 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 68.1 | 61.3 |
| 1981 | 67.7 | 60.9 |
| 1980 | 67.2 | 60.5 |
| 1979 | 66.8 | 60.2 |
| 1978 | 66.3 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 65.8 | 59.2 |
| 1976 | 65.3 | 58.6 |
| 1975 | 64.8 | 58.3 |
| 1974 | 64.3 | 58.1 |
| 1973 | 63.8 | 57.7 |
| 1972 | 63.3 | 57.2 |
| 1971 | 62.7 | 56 |
| 1970 | 62.1 | 56.3 |
| 1969 | 61.4 | 56 |
| 1968 | 60.8 | 55.6 |
| 1967 | 60.1 | 55.1 |
| 1966 | 59.4 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 58.8 | 54 |
| 1964 | 58.2 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 57.6 | 53.7 |
| 1962 | 57 | 53.2 |
| 1961 | 56.4 | 50.4 |
| 1960 | 55.8 | 47.8 |
| 1959 | 55.2 | 49.6 |
| 1958 | 54.5 | 51.6 |
| 1957 | 53.7 | 51.1 |
| 1956 | 52.8 | 50.7 |
| 1955 | 51.8 | 50.2 |
| 1954 | 50.6 | 49.7 |
| 1953 | 40.3 | 48.8 |
| 1952 | 32.8 | 48.2 |
| 1951 | 17.7 | 47.1 |
| 1950 | 14.2 | 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 | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73.772.5–74.9 | 73.3 |
| 2025 | 73.972.1–75.6 | 73.5 |
| 2026 | 7471.8–76 | 73.8 |
| 2027 | 74.171.6–76.4 | 73.9 |
| 2028 | 74.271.4–76.7 | 74.1 |
| 2029 | 74.371.4–77 | 74.2 |
| 2030 | 74.571.2–77.3 | 74.4 |
| 2031 | 74.671.2–77.7 | 74.5 |
| 2032 | 74.770.9–78 | 74.7 |
| 2033 | 74.870.9–78.4 | 74.8 |
| 2034 | 7570.7–78.7 | 75 |
| 2035 | 75.170.8–79.1 | 75.1 |
| 2036 | 75.270.8–79.3 | 75.3 |
| 2037 | 75.370.7–79.7 | 75.4 |
| 2038 | 75.570.6–80 | 75.5 |
| 2039 | 75.670.7–80.3 | 75.7 |
| 2040 | 75.770.7–80.4 | 75.8 |
| 2041 | 75.970.5–80.5 | 75.9 |
| 2042 | 7670.6–80.7 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 76.170.5–80.9 | 76.2 |
| 2044 | 76.370.6–81.3 | 76.3 |
| 2045 | 76.470.5–81.5 | 76.5 |
| 2046 | 76.570.5–81.7 | 76.6 |
| 2047 | 76.770.5–82 | 76.7 |
| 2048 | 76.870.4–82.3 | 76.8 |
| 2049 | 76.970.3–82.5 | 76.9 |
| 2050 | 77.170.3–82.7 | 77 |
| 2051 | 77.270.3–83 | 77.1 |
| 2052 | 77.370.3–83.2 | 77.2 |
| 2053 | 77.570.4–83.4 | 77.3 |
| 2054 | 77.670.4–83.4 | 77.4 |
| 2055 | 77.770.5–83.8 | 77.6 |
| 2056 | 77.970.9–84 | 77.7 |
| 2057 | 7870.7–84.1 | 77.8 |
| 2058 | 78.170.7–84.2 | 77.9 |
| 2059 | 78.370.6–84.3 | 78 |
| 2060 | 78.471–84.8 | 78.1 |
| 2061 | 78.670.9–84.8 | 78.2 |
| 2062 | 78.770.9–85.1 | 78.3 |
| 2063 | 78.871.2–85.3 | 78.4 |
| 2064 | 7971.1–85.5 | 78.5 |
| 2065 | 79.171.1–85.6 | 78.6 |
| 2066 | 79.271–85.8 | 78.7 |
| 2067 | 79.471.1–86.1 | 78.8 |
| 2068 | 79.571.3–86.2 | 78.9 |
| 2069 | 79.771.3–86.1 | 79 |
| 2070 | 79.871.3–86.4 | 79.1 |
| 2071 | 79.971.4–86.6 | 79.2 |
| 2072 | 80.171.1–86.6 | 79.3 |
| 2073 | 80.271.1–86.9 | 79.4 |
| 2074 | 80.471.2–87.1 | 79.4 |
| 2075 | 80.571.3–87.1 | 79.5 |
| 2076 | 80.671.2–87.4 | 79.6 |
| 2077 | 80.871.2–87.6 | 79.7 |
| 2078 | 80.971.4–87.8 | 79.8 |
| 2079 | 8171.2–87.9 | 79.9 |
| 2080 | 81.271.5–88.1 | 80 |
| 2081 | 81.371.5–88.5 | 80.1 |
| 2082 | 81.471.7–88.6 | 80.2 |
| 2083 | 81.671.7–88.4 | 80.3 |
| 2084 | 81.771.9–88.7 | 80.3 |
| 2085 | 81.871.9–88.8 | 80.4 |
| 2086 | 8272–89 | 80.5 |
| 2087 | 82.171.9–89.1 | 80.6 |
| 2088 | 82.372–89.2 | 80.7 |
| 2089 | 82.472–89.3 | 80.8 |
| 2090 | 82.572.2–89.6 | 80.9 |
| 2091 | 82.672.1–89.7 | 81 |
| 2092 | 82.872.2–89.9 | 81 |
| 2093 | 82.971.9–89.9 | 81.1 |
| 2094 | 8372.2–90.1 | 81.2 |
| 2095 | 83.272.3–90.3 | 81.3 |
| 2096 | 83.372.4–90.6 | 81.4 |
| 2097 | 83.472.2–90.7 | 81.5 |
| 2098 | 83.572.3–90.9 | 81.6 |
| 2099 | 83.772.4–91 | 81.7 |
| 2100 | 83.872.6–91.2 | 81.7 |
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 in numbers
Every measure for North Korea on one page