Life Expectancy in South Korea (2024): Men 80.8, Women 86.6

Life expectancy in South Korea since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in South Korea has risen by 29.8 years, from 53.8 to 83.6. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.5 years (from 83.2 in 2019 to 82.7 in 2022) and has since recovered. Women live 5.8 years longer than men (86.6 vs 80.8).

Expected age at death in South 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	80.8	81.6	82.3	83.9	89.2
Women	86.6	87.4	88.1	89.3	93.0

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

How people die in South Korea

Chronic diseases: 77.8%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 13%
Injuries: 9.2%

In 2019, 78% of deaths in South Korea were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A South Korea man has a 10% chance and a woman 4% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 8.6 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 South Korea, about 2.8 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

South Korea compared with its region

South Korea is in the World Bank’s East Asia & Pacific region, where the average life expectancy is 74.1 years. It ranks #4 of 37 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
1	Hong Kong	85.4	82.7	88.2
2	French Polynesia	84.2	81.9	86.6
3	Japan	84.0	81.1	87.1
4	South Korea	83.6	80.8	86.6
5	Macao	83.3	80.6	86.2
6	Singapore	83.3	81.2	85.6
7	Australia	83.1	81.1	85.1
8	New Zealand	82.0	80.4	83.7
9	New Caledonia	78.9	76.5	81.4

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in South Korea?

83.6 years in 2024: 80.8 for men and 86.6 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in South Korea?

Yes. Women in South Korea live about 5.8 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does South Korea rank for life expectancy?

South Korea ranks #14 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 10.1 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in South Korea?

Life expectancy at birth (83.6) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in South Korea can expect to live to about 82.3, and a 40-year-old woman to about 88.1.

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.