South Korea life expectancy by year, 1990 to 2024

South Korea: 83.6 years in 2024. Life expectancy peaked at 83.6 years in 2024 in this 1990–2024 series.

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What the data shows

South Korea: 71.6 years in 1990, 83.6 years in 2024.
Spain: 76.8 years in 1990, 83.9 years in 2024. It peaked at 83.9 years in 2023.
Singapore: 75.3 years in 1990, 83.3 years in 2024. It peaked at 83.6 years in 2019.
Italy: 77.0 years in 1990, 84.0 years in 2024.

About this chart

The sharpest annual fall in South Korea's displayed life expectancy series came in 2022: 0.8 years. South Korea recorded 83.6 years in 2024, compared with 71.6 years in 1990. The displayed annual series runs from 1990 through 2024; its lowest value was 71.6 years in 1990. The preceding annual observation, for 2023, was 83.4 years.

Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. In 2024, the comparison lines show Spain (83.9 years), Singapore (83.3 years) and Italy (84.0 years). These peers have the closest latest values among reporting countries with over one million people and a continuous common history; they are not selected by geography.

The data

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series.

South Korea: life expectancy, years, 1990 to 2024; three nearest peers, 1990–2024
Date	🇰🇷 South Korea	🇪🇸 Spain	🇸🇬 Singapore	🇮🇹 Italy
1990	71.6 years	76.8 years	75.3 years	77.0 years
1991	72.0 years	77.0 years	75.6 years	77.0 years
1992	72.5 years	77.4 years	75.9 years	77.4 years
1993	73.0 years	77.5 years	76.0 years	77.7 years
1994	73.4 years	77.9 years	76.2 years	77.9 years
1995	73.7 years	78.0 years	76.3 years	78.2 years
1996	74.2 years	78.1 years	76.6 years	78.5 years
1997	74.6 years	78.6 years	76.9 years	78.8 years
1998	75.0 years	78.7 years	77.3 years	79.0 years
1999	75.4 years	78.7 years	77.6 years	79.4 years
2000	75.9 years	79.0 years	78.0 years	79.8 years
2001	76.4 years	79.4 years	78.3 years	80.1 years
2002	76.8 years	79.6 years	78.6 years	80.2 years
2003	77.2 years	79.6 years	79.0 years	80.0 years
2004	77.7 years	79.9 years	79.5 years	80.8 years
2005	78.2 years	80.2 years	80.0 years	80.8 years
2006	78.7 years	80.8 years	80.1 years	81.3 years
2007	79.1 years	80.9 years	80.4 years	81.4 years
2008	79.5 years	81.2 years	80.8 years	81.5 years
2009	80.0 years	81.5 years	81.2 years	81.6 years
2010	80.1 years	81.6 years	81.5 years	82.0 years
2011	80.6 years	82.5 years	81.7 years	82.2 years
2012	80.8 years	82.4 years	82.0 years	82.2 years
2013	81.3 years	83.1 years	82.2 years	82.7 years
2014	81.7 years	83.2 years	82.5 years	83.1 years
2015	82.0 years	82.8 years	82.7 years	82.5 years
2016	82.3 years	83.3 years	82.8 years	83.2 years
2017	82.6 years	83.3 years	83.1 years	82.9 years
2018	82.6 years	83.4 years	83.3 years	83.3 years
2019	83.2 years	83.8 years	83.6 years	83.5 years
2020	83.4 years	82.2 years	83.5 years	82.2 years
2021	83.5 years	83.2 years	83.1 years	82.6 years
2022	82.7 years	83.1 years	82.9 years	82.7 years
2023	83.4 years	83.9 years	83.1 years	83.4 years
2024	83.6 years	83.9 years	83.3 years	84.0 years

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Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in South Korea?

Life expectancy at birth in South Korea was 83.6 years in 2024, according to the World Bank series for both sexes. This is a period estimate using that year's mortality rates.

When was South Korea's life expectancy highest in this series?

The highest displayed value was 83.6 years in 2024. This comparison covers 1990 through 2024; it is not a claim about years outside the available series.

Why are these countries compared with South Korea?

The comparison selects three countries with the closest 2024 values, among countries with over one million people and at least fifteen consecutive annual observations in common. The matching is based on the indicator level, not economic structure or geographic proximity.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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