Life Expectancy of North Korean Residents 73.5 Years... "Only Reaches South Korea's 1990s Level"

Age Gap of 84 and 11 Years in South Korea Increased from Last Year
Experts Say "High Early Elderly Mortality Due to Poverty"

The average life expectancy of North Korean residents was found to be 73.5 years. This corresponds to the level of South Korea in the 1990s.

According to Voice of America (VOA) on the 15th, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released the annual "2023 World Population Status Report" on the 11th in observance of World Population Day.

The report estimated the life expectancy of North Korean residents as 71 years for men, 76 years for women, and an average of 73.5 years. This is a slight increase from the previous year's report, which estimated 69 years for men and 76 years for women.

The life expectancy gap between residents of North and South Korea was 10.5 years. The life expectancy of South Koreans was 81 years for men, 87 years for women, and an average of 84 years, each increasing by one year compared to the previous year.

Experts pointed out that North Korea's life expectancy remains at the level of South Korea in the 1990s.

At the symposium titled "Health Care on the Korean Peninsula: What Are the Problems and How Should They Be Solved?" held by Korea University's Institute for Unification and Convergence Studies in May, Professor Lee Yohan of Korea University analyzed, "In 1990, the life expectancy of North and South Korea was almost the same, but the gap has widened significantly since then."

Professor Lee explained, "In North Korea, child mortality and infectious disease mortality decreased in the 1990s, but deaths from chronic diseases continued to worsen," adding, "North Korea has much lower child mortality than countries with similar life expectancy, but higher adult and elderly mortality."

Children at a North Korean kindergarten [Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Due to prolonged poor economic conditions and poverty, many residents live with various diseases and end their lives relatively early in old age." For example, North Korea has a lower obesity rate than South Korea, but a higher incidence of hypertension.

According to an analysis of health checkup big data of North Korean defectors and South Korean residents by the Society of Unification Health Care and the Health Insurance Research Institute, defectors initially have a lower prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases than South Koreans of the same gender and age. However, after 4 to 5 years of residence, their prevalence surpasses that of South Koreans. This is because they are more vulnerable to chronic diseases due to being born and raised in poverty.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that North Korea is also experiencing an aging trend similar to South Korea.

According to UN standards, a society is classified as aging if the population aged 65 and over exceeds 7%, and as an aged society if it exceeds 14%. South Korea was surveyed at 18%, and North Korea at 12%. However, the proportion of children aged 0 to 14 was higher in North Korea at 19%, compared to 11% in South Korea.

South Korea experienced a population "dead cross" starting in 2020, where the number of deaths exceeded births, leading to a natural population decline, which is expected to worsen due to low birth rates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.