Life expectancy in South Korea

Life expectancy in South Korea: 22.2 years in 1950 and 84.3 years in 2023, by UN estimates.

Latest, 2023: 84.3 years
Since 1950: +62.1 years
Rank, 2023: 5 of 229; counting from the highest
World, 2023: 73.2 years
Projected, 2100: 93.1 years; UN projection (medium variant)

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

Estimates, UNEstimates, Our World in DataUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 93.1 years in 2100, between 85.4 years and 101.6 years (95% prediction interval).
Older estimates from Our World in Data reach back to 1908: 23.5 years.

Every year

years · UN

Year	South Korea	World
2023	84.3	73.2
2022	82.7	72.6
2021	83.9	70.9
2020	83.7	71.9
2019	83.7	72.6
2018	83.3	72.4
2017	83.3	72.1
2016	82.9	71.9
2015	82.5	71.6
2014	82.4	71.4
2013	81.8	71.1
2012	81.3	70.8
2011	81.2	70.4
2010	80.7	70.1
2009	80.6	69.7
2008	80	69.3
2007	79.4	69
2006	79	68.6
2005	78.5	68.1
2004	78	67.7
2003	77.5	67.4
2002	77.2	67.1
2001	76.9	66.8
2000	76.2	66.4
1999	75.6	66
1998	75	65.7
1997	74.5	65.5
1996	74	65.2
1995	73.4	64.9
1994	72.9	64.3
1993	72.8	64.4
1992	72.2	64.3
1991	71.4	64.1
1990	71	64
1989	70.7	63.8
1988	70.2	63.4
1987	69.3	63.2
1986	69	62.7
1985	68.4	62.2
1984	68.1	61.9
1983	66.7	61.5
1982	67.1	61.3
1981	67.1	60.9
1980	64.9	60.5
1979	66.1	60.2
1978	65	59.5
1977	64.6	59.2
1976	65	58.6
1975	64.7	58.3
1974	64.2	58.1
1973	63.8	57.7
1972	63.2	57.2
1971	62.7	56
1970	62.2	56.3
1969	61.4	56
1968	60.9	55.6
1967	60.9	55.1
1966	55.4	54.6
1965	55.8	54
1964	55.3	54.3
1963	55	53.7
1962	55	53.2
1961	54.4	50.4
1960	53.8	47.8
1959	52.9	49.6
1958	51.8	51.6
1957	51.6	51.1
1956	50.2	50.7
1955	48.4	50.2
1954	46.1	49.7
1953	40.5	48.8
1952	36.6	48.2
1951	26.6	47.1
1950	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 Korea	World
2024	84.483.5–85.3	73.3
2025	84.583.2–85.9	73.5
2026	84.683.1–86.2	73.8
2027	84.783–86.6	73.9
2028	84.982.9–86.9	74.1
2029	8582.8–87.2	74.2
2030	85.182.8–87.5	74.4
2031	85.282.8–87.8	74.5
2032	85.382.8–88.1	74.7
2033	85.482.7–88.4	74.8
2034	85.582.8–88.6	75
2035	85.682.8–88.9	75.1
2036	85.782.7–88.9	75.3
2037	85.882.8–89.2	75.4
2038	8682.8–89.5	75.5
2039	86.182.8–89.7	75.7
2040	86.282.8–90	75.8
2041	86.382.8–90.2	75.9
2042	86.482.8–90.3	76.1
2043	86.582.9–90.5	76.2
2044	86.682.9–90.8	76.3
2045	86.882.8–90.8	76.5
2046	86.983–91	76.6
2047	8782.9–91.3	76.7
2048	87.182.9–91.5	76.8
2049	87.282.8–91.9	76.9
2050	87.382.8–91.9	77
2051	87.582.9–92.1	77.1
2052	87.682.9–92.3	77.2
2053	87.783–92.5	77.3
2054	87.882.9–92.5	77.4
2055	87.983–92.9	77.6
2056	8883.1–93.1	77.7
2057	88.183.1–93.2	77.8
2058	88.383.3–93.7	77.9
2059	88.483.3–93.7	78
2060	88.583.3–93.9	78.1
2061	88.683.3–94.1	78.2
2062	88.783.2–94.3	78.3
2063	88.883.4–94.3	78.4
2064	88.983.5–94.7	78.5
2065	8983.5–94.8	78.6
2066	89.283.7–95.2	78.7
2067	89.383.7–95.4	78.8
2068	89.483.9–95.4	78.9
2069	89.583.8–95.7	79
2070	89.683.8–95.9	79.1
2071	89.783.8–96	79.2
2072	89.883.9–96.4	79.3
2073	9084–96.5	79.4
2074	90.183.8–96.7	79.4
2075	90.283.7–96.9	79.5
2076	90.383.9–97.2	79.6
2077	90.483.9–97.2	79.7
2078	90.583.8–97.3	79.8
2079	90.683.8–97.5	79.9
2080	90.783.9–97.7	80
2081	90.984–97.9	80.1
2082	9183.8–98.1	80.2
2083	91.184–98.3	80.3
2084	91.284–98.5	80.3
2085	91.384–98.6	80.4
2086	91.484.2–98.7	80.5
2087	91.684.4–98.9	80.6
2088	91.784.3–99	80.7
2089	91.884.4–99.4	80.8
2090	91.984.4–99.5	80.9
2091	92.184.5–99.8	81
2092	92.284.8–99.8	81
2093	92.384.9–100.1	81.1
2094	92.484.9–100.4	81.2
2095	92.584.9–100.8	81.3
2096	92.785.1–100.9	81.4
2097	92.885.2–101.1	81.5
2098	92.985.3–101.4	81.6
2099	9385.3–101.5	81.7
2100	93.185.4–101.6	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

Life expectancy in South Korea

What the numbers say

Every year

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