What share of children die in South Korea?

The latest data, referring to 2023, shows that 0.4% died before the age of 15 in South Korea.

This is the youth mortality rate, which measures the share of newborns who die before reaching their 15th birthday.

This rate is shown for South Korea in the chart below, alongside neighboring countries for comparison.

What share of children under five die in South Korea?

What about deaths among younger children?

One of the most-used indicators of child health is the child mortality rate, which measures the share of newborns who die before the age of five.

In South Korea, 0.3% of children under the age of five died in 2023.

You can see how this rate has changed over time in the chart, compared to neighboring countries.

How many children under five die each year in South Korea?

What do these child mortality rates mean for the total number of children who die?

In the chart, you can see the number of children under five in South Korea who die in a particular year. In 2023, it was 694 children.

What do children die from in South Korea?

To stop children from dying, we need to know what they are dying from. Understanding this allows governments and society to develop and focus on the largest causes of death. That can lead to a stronger focus on the interventions that would make the biggest difference.

In the treemap below, you can see estimates for South Korea. The total size of the visualization represents the total number of under-fives that died. Each box inside is a cause of death, with its size proportional to the share of child deaths.

What share of children in South Korea are malnourished?

One of the largest drivers of poor health and mortality among children is malnutrition. It’s estimated to contribute to around half of child deaths worldwide. A malnourished child tends to be more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. It also makes it harder for them to recover.

There are several measures of malnutrition among children.

Here, we look at stunting, which is when a child is deemed short for their age. It is often a sign of chronic malnutrition, and that their development has been hindered. Stunting is not just an issue during childhood: it affects both physical and cognitive development, and these impacts can persist into adulthood.

In the chart, you can see what share of children in South Korea are stunted, alongside neighboring countries. In 2024, this share was 1.8%.

What is South Korea’s maternal mortality rate?

Maternal deaths are those that occur during a woman’s pregnancy, at childbirth, or in the following six weeks.

This is not only tragic for the woman herself, but for the children and family she leaves behind.

In the chart, you can see South Korea’s maternal mortality rates over time, alongside neighboring countries for comparison. This is measured as the number of deaths per 100,000 live births.

In 2020, 8.12 women died per 100,000 live births.

How many mothers in South Korea die during pregnancy or childbirth?

Rates tell us about risk, but the total number of deaths shows the scale of the problem. How many women in South Korea die during pregnancy or childbirth?

In the chart, you can see the number of women in South Korea who died during pregnancy or in childbirth each year. In 2023, this was 9 women.

What share of births in South Korea are attended by skilled workers?

Having skilled health staff available at childbirth can improve health outcomes for both the mother and baby, especially if complications arise.

In the chart, you see the share of births attended by skilled workers in South Korea, alongside its neighbors. In 2015, this share was 100%.

What is South Korea’s life expectancy at birth?

In 2023, South Korea’s life expectancy at birth was 84.3 years.

You can see how this has changed over time in the chart, alongside neighboring countries.

This is a period measure of life expectancy, which tells us the average number of years a newborn would live if today’s death rates at each age remained constant throughout their life. This does not necessarily reflect the most common age of death in the country.

What is the life expectancy of men and women in South Korea?

In most countries, women live on average longer than men. But the size of this life expectancy gap varies.

In the chart, you can see life expectancy at birth for men and women in South Korea.

In 2023, life expectancy was 87.2 years for women, and 81.2 years for men.

What is South Korea’s life expectancy at different ages?

Life expectancy at birth is often sensitive to death rates at younger ages. In particular, life expectancy is low when child mortality rates are high. These figures would tell you very little about how long a 40, 50, or 60-year-old could expect to live.

It’s therefore useful to look at life expectancy at different ages. This is shown in the chart for 10, 25, 45, 65, and 80-year-olds.

What do people in South Korea die from?

Understanding what people die from allows countries to tailor resources, develop interventions, and allocate funding to areas where the most progress can be made.

In the treemap below, you can see estimates of what people in South Korea died from in 2023.

The total size of the visualization represents the total number of deaths in that year. Each box inside is a cause of death, with its size proportional to the share of all deaths.

How many people in South Korea die from infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and injuries?

Causes of death can be categorized into broader categories: infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and injuries. This can give us some insight into a country's health challenges and how they’re changing.

Infectious, maternal, and nutritional diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, are more common in low- and middle-income countries. In richer countries, most people die from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease or cancer.

In the chart, you can see the breakdown of deaths in South Korea by these broad categories. In 2023, 34,900 died from communicable diseases, 288,000 from NCDs, and 30,000 from injuries.

How are death rates from infectious diseases in South Korea changing?

Infectious diseases include a broad range of illnesses that can be spread through vectors, such as contaminated water or mosquitoes, or from person to person. This includes diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19.

In the chart, you can see how death rates from communicable diseases in South Korea have changed over time. This is shown alongside neighboring countries for comparison.

Are deaths from cardiovascular disease in South Korea increasing or decreasing?

One of the leading causes of death in many countries is cardiovascular disease. These deaths are far more likely in older people, so as countries make progress on reducing deaths at younger ages, it’s likely to become a more dominant cause of death.

Is South Korea making progress against cardiovascular disease?

There are several metrics we can use to understand mortality: the total number of deaths, the crude death rate (which simply divides the number of deaths by the country’s population), or the age-standardized death rate, which holds the age structure of the population constant, removing the effect of population aging from the trend.

In the chart below, you can see the change in these three metrics for South Korea.

Are deaths from cancer in South Korea increasing or decreasing?

Another leading cause of death in many countries is cancer.

Is South Korea making progress on reducing cancer deaths?

Again, we can use the same indicators to understand mortality: the total number of deaths, the crude death rate (which simply divides the number of deaths by the country’s population), or the age-standardized death rate, which holds the age structure of the population constant, so it tells us about how rates are changing regardless of aging. This is important because the risk of most cancers also increases steeply with age.

In the chart below, you can see the change in these three metrics for South Korea.

What are the largest health risk factors in South Korea?

Many environmental, societal, and lifestyle factors increase the risk of someone developing a disease or other health problem. These are called “risk factors” and include things such as smoking, air pollution, obesity, insufficient physical activity, and diet.

In the chart, you can see modeled estimates for how many people in South Korea die prematurely as a result of various risk factors. Note that the same death can be attributed to multiple risk factors, so the death tolls from different risk factors cannot simply be added up (this is why their sum can be higher than the total number of deaths).

Each figure estimates how many deaths would have been averted if that risk factor had not existed.

What share of adults in South Korea smoke?

In many countries, tobacco is one of the leading risk factors for premature death. It raises the risk of various illnesses, including lung cancer, stomach and bladder cancer, stroke, and others.

In the chart, you can see the share of adults in South Korea who use tobacco. This is shown alongside the average globally and regionally.

In 2022, 20% of adults used tobacco.

What share of adults in South Korea are overweight or obese?

Obesity is an important risk factor for health conditions and premature death. It can increase the risk of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, and other illnesses.

In the chart, you can see the share of adults in South Korea who are overweight or obese. This is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. This is shown alongside the global and regional averages.

In 2022, 36% of adults were defined as overweight or obese.

How much air pollution are people in South Korea exposed to?

Air pollution is a key risk factor for premature death and illness in many countries. This can come from either indoor or outdoor exposure to air pollutants.

The health risks of outdoor air pollution depend on how much people are exposed to it.

In the chart, you can see the average level of exposure to small suspended particles in South Korea, compared to the global and regional averages.

Vaccinations

What share of children in South Korea receive key vaccinations?

Many vaccinations are effective in protecting people against potentially fatal diseases. Most recommended vaccinations are administered during childhood, where they can give the most effective and prolonged protection. Childhood vaccinations are estimated to have saved the lives of around 150 million children globally over the last 50 years.

What share of children in South Korea get vaccinated? The chart below shows the data across a range of important vaccines.

How much does South Korea spend per person on healthcare?

A well-financed healthcare system is crucial for the good health of a population.

How much is spent per person on healthcare in South Korea?

In 2024, annual spending was $5,081 per capita. This is shown relative to the global and regional average in the chart, for context.

This includes all sources of spending on health, including public and private funding, and people’s out-of-pocket spending.

How much does South Korea spend on healthcare as a share of GDP?

In 2022, South Korea’s healthcare spending was equivalent to 9.4% of its national gross domestic product (GDP).

This is shown relative to neighboring countries in the chart, for comparison.