Life in South Korea: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated September 2026 · methodology
A child born in South Korea in the 2020s can expect to live 83.4 years on an average income of 43,900 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To live in South Korea today is to exist within a paradox of extreme stability and relentless pace. Daily reality is defined by a world where electricity at home is 100 % and internet access reaches 97 %, weaving the digital sphere into every domestic moment. While the physical environment is exceptionally safe, with a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000, the human cost of this prosperity is etched into the calendar, where the demands of the workforce persist at 1,900 hours/year.
The trajectory of the nation is an arc of steep transformation. In the 1950s, life expectancy at birth was 47.67 years and extreme poverty stood at 30.64 %. By the 2020s, these burdens have vanished, with extreme poverty falling to 0.2 % and life expectancy climbing to 83.4 years. This evolution is visible in the body and the mind: average male height grew from 165 cm to 174 cm, while schooling rose from 2.98 to 12.5 years.
For a child born in the 2020s, the birth lottery offers an average income of 43,900 international dollars and a projected life of 83.4 years. However, the social fabric has tightened; children per woman has plummeted from 3.78 births to 0.84 births. As urbanization surged from 20.7 % to 81.4 %, the experience of life shifted from the rural village to the high-density city. You can now see your parallel life in South Korea to understand these global shifts.
Explore MYRIAD to compute your own parallel lives across time and borders.
🇰🇷 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for South Korea — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 47.67 | 83.4 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 3,302 | 43,900 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 112.64 | 3 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 2.98 | 12.5 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 3.78 | 0.84 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 20.7 | 81.4 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 97 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 15.28 | 100 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 1.78 | 0.6 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,449 | 1,900 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 165 | 174 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 30.64 | 0.2 % | history → |
See your parallel life in South Korea →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in South Korea?
83.4 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is South Korea a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where South Korea lands for your cohort.