Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — Life expectancy
Life Expectancy at Birth for Korea, Dem. People's Rep., 1960–2024.
Life expectancy for Korea, Dem. People's Rep. was 73.7 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1960 to 2024. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 55.8 in 1960 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.44% per year.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks 119 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 55%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 73.0, so Korea, Dem. People's Rep. sits above it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 2%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 17 of 37 economies; Tonga (73.1) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 14% in 2003.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 159 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 111th of 215 in 1960 → 104th of 216 in 1970 → 93rd of 216 in 1980 → 83rd of 217 in 1990 → 167th of 217 in 2000 → 130th of 217 in 2010 → 110th of 217 in 2020 → 119th of 217 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2024
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73.74 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 73.64 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 73.64 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 73.44 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 72.78 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 72.93 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 73.02 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 73.03 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 72.97 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 72.83 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 72.45 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 71.87 | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 71.32 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 70.77 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 70.25 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 69.7 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 69.3 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 69.02 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 69.06 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 69.17 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 69.29 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 69.4 | +14.0% |
| 2002 | 60.88 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 60.89 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 60.91 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60.91 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 60.89 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 60.87 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 60.82 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 60.77 | -13.8% |
| 1994 | 70.47 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 70.79 | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 71.01 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 70.72 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 70.48 | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 70.27 | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 70.05 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 69.77 | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 69.54 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 69.23 | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 68.88 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 68.5 | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 68.09 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 67.66 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 67.21 | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 66.75 | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 66.29 | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 65.81 | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 65.33 | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 64.83 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 64.33 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 63.82 | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 63.25 | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 62.66 | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 62.05 | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 61.41 | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 60.76 | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 60.09 | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 59.42 | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 58.79 | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 58.17 | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 57.58 | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 57 | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 56.41 | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 55.81 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Korea, Dem. People's Rep.’s Life expectancy in 1961?
56.41 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Korea, Dem. People's Rep.’s Life expectancy figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — years — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Korea, Dem. People's Rep.’s Life expectancy growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +32.1% in total — about 0.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 73.74; 2023: 73.64; 2022: 73.64; 2021: 73.44; 2020: 72.78. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.DYN.LE00.IN — Life Expectancy at Birth. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.