Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in North Korea
North Korea: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 73.64 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
73.64 years
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
114th
of 215 countries
All-time high
73.64 years
in 2023
All-time low
60.77 years
in 1995
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea stood at 73.64 years. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea peaked at 73.64 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 60.77 years, in 1995.
North Korea ranks 114th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 62.05 years | — |
| 1971 | 62.66 years | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 63.25 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 63.82 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 64.33 years | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 64.83 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 65.33 years | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 65.81 years | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 66.29 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 66.75 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 67.21 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 67.66 years | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 68.09 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 68.5 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 68.88 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 69.23 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 69.54 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 69.77 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 70.05 years | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 70.27 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 70.48 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 70.72 years | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 71.01 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 70.79 years | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 70.47 years | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 60.77 years | -13.8% |
| 1996 | 60.82 years | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 60.87 years | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 60.89 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60.91 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 60.91 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 60.89 years | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 60.88 years | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 69.4 years | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 69.29 years | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 69.17 years | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 69.06 years | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 69.02 years | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 69.3 years | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 69.7 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 70.25 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 70.77 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 71.32 years | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 71.87 years | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 72.45 years | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 72.83 years | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 72.97 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 73.03 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 73.02 years | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 72.93 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 72.78 years | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 73.44 years | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 73.64 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 73.64 years | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 73.64 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 73.64 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85 years, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 64.51 years | 62.05 years | 66.75 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.92 years | 67.21 years | 70.27 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.77 years | 60.77 years | 71.01 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.76 years | 60.88 years | 69.7 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.14 years | 70.25 years | 73.03 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.38 years | 72.78 years | 73.64 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More population data for North Korea
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5276 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 25,807 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1188 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7483 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.656 (2100)
- Population density 162.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 794,407 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in North Korea was 73.64 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 73.64 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.77 years in 1995.
- How does North Korea rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- North Korea ranks 114th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release