Average HDL cholesterol levels in South Korea
South Korea: Average HDL cholesterol levels was 1.4 in 2018. ▲ Rising
Average HDL cholesterol levels in South Korea, 1980–2018
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2018, average hdl cholesterol levels in South Korea stood at 1.4. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average hdl cholesterol levels in South Korea peaked at 1.4 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.2, in 1980.
That places South Korea 16th out of 191 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Average HDL cholesterol levels in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.2 | — |
| 1981 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.2 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.3 | +8.3% |
| 2005 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.3 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.4 | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.4 | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1.4 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.4, 1.0× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1.4 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.1, 1.3× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.26 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.36 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 9 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 16 Albania 1.4 compare
- 16 Andorra 1.4 compare
- 16 Belarus 1.4 compare
- 16 Bulgaria 1.4 compare
- 16 Canada 1.4 compare
- 16 Croatia 1.4 compare
- 16 Cyprus 1.4 compare
- 16 Denmark 1.4 compare
- 16 Estonia 1.4 compare
- 16 Greece 1.4 compare
- 16 Hungary 1.4 compare
- 16 Italy 1.4 compare
- 16 Lithuania 1.4 compare
- 16 Malta 1.4 compare
- 16 Mongolia 1.4 compare
- 16 Montenegro 1.4 compare
- 16 Netherlands 1.4 compare
- 16 New Zealand 1.4 compare
- 16 North Macedonia 1.4 compare
- 16 Norway 1.4 compare
- 16 Poland 1.4 compare
- 16 Portugal 1.4 compare
- 16 Romania 1.4 compare
- 16 Russia 1.4 compare
- 16 Serbia 1.4 compare
- 16 Singapore 1.4 compare
- 16 Slovakia 1.4 compare
- 16 Slovenia 1.4 compare
- 16 Spain 1.4 compare
- 16 Ukraine 1.4 compare
- 16 United States 1.4 compare
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average hdl cholesterol levels in South Korea?
- Average hdl cholesterol levels in South Korea was 1.4 in 2018, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average hdl cholesterol levels recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.4 in 2014.
- What is the lowest average hdl cholesterol levels recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 in 1980.
- How does South Korea rank for average hdl cholesterol levels?
- South Korea ranks 16th out of 191 countries with data for 2018.
- Is average hdl cholesterol levels rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average HDL cholesterol levels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The estimated average level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "good cholesterol". Healthy levels are considered to be 1mmol/L or above for men or 1.2mmol/L or above for women.