Life Expectancy in North Korea (2024): Men 71.6, Women 75.9

Life expectancy in North Korea since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in North Korea has risen by 17.9 years, from 55.8 to 73.7. Women live 4.3 years longer than men (75.9 vs 71.6).

Expected age at death in North Korea by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	71.6	73.3	74.2	76.9	85.1
Women	75.9	77.7	78.5	80.5	87.1

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to North Korea’s figures (method).

How people die in North Korea

Chronic diseases: 81.4%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 11.5%
Injuries: 7%

In 2019, 81% of deaths in North Korea were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A North Korea man has a 29% chance and a woman 19% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 24.2 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in North Korea, about 16.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

North Korea compared with its region

North Korea is in the World Bank’s East Asia & Pacific region, where the average life expectancy is 74.1 years. It ranks #17 of 37 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
13	Malaysia	76.8	74.4	79.5
14	Thailand	76.6	72.3	81.0
15	Brunei	75.5	73.5	77.7
16	Vietnam	74.7	70.1	79.4
17	North Korea	73.7	71.6	75.9
18	Tonga	73.1	69.5	76.5
19	American Samoa	73.0	70.3	76.0
20	Mongolia	72.4	67.9	77.1
21	Samoa	71.8	70.0	73.8

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in North Korea?

73.7 years in 2024: 71.6 for men and 75.9 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in North Korea?

Yes. Women in North Korea live about 4.3 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does North Korea rank for life expectancy?

North Korea ranks #120 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 0.2 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in North Korea?

Life expectancy at birth (73.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in North Korea can expect to live to about 74.2, and a 40-year-old woman to about 78.5.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.