Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in South Korea
South Korea: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 83.43 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
83.43 years
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
13th
of 215 countries
All-time high
83.53 years
in 2021
All-time low
62.16 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in South Korea, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 83.43 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in South Korea peaked at 83.53 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 62.16 years, in 1970.
South Korea ranks 13th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 62.16 years | — |
| 1971 | 62.61 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 63.01 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 63.41 years | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 63.8 years | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 64.15 years | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 64.5 years | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 64.9 years | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 65.2 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 65.55 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 66.05 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 66.55 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 67.1 years | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 67.55 years | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 68.2 years | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 68.8 years | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 69.45 years | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 70 years | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 70.55 years | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 71.05 years | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 71.6 years | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 72.05 years | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 72.5 years | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 73 years | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 73.4 years | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 73.7 years | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 74.15 years | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 74.6 years | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 75 years | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 75.41 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 75.91 years | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 76.41 years | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 76.77 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 77.21 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 77.67 years | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 78.17 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 78.67 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 79.12 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 79.52 years | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 79.97 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 80.12 years | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 80.57 years | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 80.82 years | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 81.27 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 81.72 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.02 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 82.28 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 82.63 years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 82.63 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 83.23 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 83.43 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 83.53 years | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 82.68 years | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 83.43 years | +0.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 83.43 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 83.43 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85 years, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 63.93 years | 62.16 years | 65.55 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.53 years | 66.05 years | 71.05 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.54 years | 71.6 years | 75.41 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.94 years | 75.91 years | 79.97 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.73 years | 80.12 years | 83.23 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.27 years | 82.68 years | 83.53 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More population data for South Korea
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3601 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.45 (2100)
- Population density 223.86 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 599,530 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.45 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0.007 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in South Korea?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in South Korea was 83.43 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 83.53 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.16 years in 1970.
- How does South Korea rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- South Korea ranks 13th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South 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