Life expectancy of women at birth South Korea 2009-2021

In 2021, the average life expectancy of women at birth in South Korea was around 86.6 years, up from about 86.3 years in the previous year. The life expectancy of a woman in South Korea has slowly increased over the past decade, from about 83 years in 2009.

Korean demographics

While life expectancy at birth for women was about six years higher than that of men, the overall life expectancy for men and women has increased over the past decade. In 2021, the average life expectancy at birth for a South Korean was about 83.6 years, having increased by more than three years over the past decade. That women are expected to live longer is not unusual in itself and is common throughout the world. Nevertheless, the difference among South Koreans is particularly large. Researchers suggest biological, social, and cultural reasons, such as that South Korean men typically work longer hours in high-risk occupations such as freight transport.

Women and their careers

The female labor force participation rate was around 53.3 percent in 2021 and has grown by about 3.5 percent over the past decade. The labor force participation rate for men remained steady at over 72 percent during these years. While women are paid less than men on average, there are also fewer women in the so-called 'good' jobs such as legal and medical professions.