Newborns in the neonatal ward at CHA Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on June 24NEWS1
Life expectancy at birth in Korea rose from 71.7 years in 1990 to 83.4 years in 2023, according to an international study.
The research team, including Professor Kang Ji-seung of Korea University and Professor Yon Dong-keon of Kyung Hee University, analyzed changes in life expectancy and their underlying causes across 34 countries and regions in Asia between 1990 and 2023 using data from the Global Burden of Disease study. The findings were published titled "Mapping drivers of life expectancy change in Asia from 1990 to 2023" in the international scientific journal Nature on Wednesday.
Singapore recorded the highest life expectancy among the surveyed countries and regions in 2023 at 85.4 years, followed by Japan at 84.1 years and then Korea.
In Korea, women had a life expectancy of 86.1 years, compared with 80.6 years for men, a gap of 5.5 years. Since 1990, life expectancy increased by 10.1 years for women and 13.1 years for men.
South Asia recorded the largest gain in life expectancy over the past 33 years, rising by 12.6 years from 58.6 years in 1990 to 71.2 years in 2023.
The factors driving longer life expectancy varied by region.
For Korea, other high-income Asia-Pacific economies and East and Central Asia, the largest contributor was a decline in deaths from cardiovascular disease.
In South and Southeast Asia, a reduction in deaths from diarrheal diseases and tuberculosis played a major role.
Second-grade students cheer during a ceremony marking the start of summer break at Jungpyong Elementary School in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on July 22.NEWS1
Steady gains in life expectancy across Asia slowed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The researchers estimated that the pandemic reduced life expectancy by 0.33 years in Southeast Asia and 0.28 years in East Asia. However, those losses were offset by improvements in other causes of death, leaving overall life expectancy in 2023 unchanged from 2019 at 73.1 years in Southeast Asia and 80 years in East Asia.
The study identified high blood pressure, air pollution and poor diets as the leading risk factors shortening life expectancy in Asia. Health risks associated with high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar have continued to increase over the past three decades.
The researchers said high-income countries, including Korea, should strengthen preventive health policies focused on managing high blood pressure, reducing smoking and improving air quality.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
