In 2023, the average number of household members in South Korea was about 2.2. The household size in South Korea has steadily declined over the past few decades.

In 2023, single-person households made up approximately **** percent of total households in South Korea. Two-person households accounted for about **** percent. The average household size in South Korea that year was *** people.

Key information about South Korea Household Income per Capita

• South Korea Annual Household Income per Capita reached 19,208.928 USD in Dec 2024, compared with the previous value of 19,230.954 USD in Dec 2023.
• South Korea Annual Household Income per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 2003 to Dec 2024, with an averaged value of 14,290.376 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 19,230.954 USD in Dec 2023 and a record low of 7,685.194 USD in Dec 2003.
• In the latest reports, Retail Sales of South Korea dropped 0.473 % YoY in May 2023.

CEIC calculates Annual Household Income per Capita from quarterly Monthly Household Income multiplied by 3 and quarterly Average Household Size and converts it into USD. Statistics Korea provides Household Income in local currency and Average Household Size. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Household Income excludes single person and farm households. Household Income per Capita prior to 2019 is based on old methodology.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the average monthly income of South Korean households amounted to about **** million South Korean won, up from about **** million South Korean won in the same quarter of the previous year. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, household income dropped *** percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2021, but recovered by the end of the year.

In 2023, the median household disposable income in South Korea amounted to around ***** million South Korean won, showing a steady increase over the past few years. The median disposable income of South Korean households has steadily increased over the past few years.

In 2024, households in South Korea with a monthly income of eight million South Korean won or more spent an average of ******* won per month on their child's private education. The average monthly expenditure per student in South Korea for private education was approximately ******* won that year.

KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data was reported at 4.031 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.092 % for 2016. KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data is updated yearly, averaging 6.637 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.237 % in 1991 and a record low of 4.031 % in 2017. KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Contributing family workers are those workers who hold 'self-employment jobs' as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

In 2024, households in South Korea spent an average of around 412,200 South Korean won on food and soft drinks, ranking among the leading three household expenditure categories. Aside from non-consumption expenditures, spending for restaurants and hotels placed ahead of food and beverage spending. Dining out in South Korea Going out to have lunch or dinner was a frequent activity among South Korean consumers, and in 2024, over 449,000 won were spent on meals in restaurants on average monthly per household. The most popular restaurant types to visit with one’s household or family were by far Korean restaurants. Although eating out can be expensive, grocery prices in South Korea are also rather costly, and even more so now as food prices continue to increase due to inflation. Food delivery Not only is visiting restaurants in person popular in South Korea but also using delivery services that offer a large variety of options is done by most consumers. As with most service-related services, convenience and fast delivery times are very important, as South Korea is known as a very consumer-oriented country. In this quest for convenience, online grocery shopping has also established itself as a purchase channel for groceries.

KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data was reported at 0.924 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.938 % for 2016. KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 1.242 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.266 % in 1991 and a record low of 0.924 % in 2017. KR: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Contributing family workers are those workers who hold 'self-employment jobs' as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

In 2025, the total population of South Korea is projected to be around ***** million. In thirty years, the number of people aged 15 to 64 is estimated to decrease by one-third, while the number of older adults is anticipated to more than double. Additionally, the overall population is expected to decline by around *** million people by that time. Declining birth rate Several factors are contributing to the expected demographic changes in South Korea. Firstly, the birth rate has been declining for years. As of 2024, South Korea had the lowest fertility rate in the world. This trend continues despite the efforts of successive governments to encourage young people to have children. An increasing number of South Korean women are prioritizing their careers, often choosing to focus on work rather than starting a family at a young age. While the employment rate for South Korean women is still lower than that of men, it has steadily risen over the past decade. Increase in life expectancy Secondly, life expectancy in South Korea has steadily increased due to improved living standards and healthcare. The average life expectancy at birth for South Koreans has risen from less than 75 years to almost 83 years over the past twenty years. As a result, the proportion of people aged 65 and older has grown from less than ** percent to around ** percent in the last decade.

Korea Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data was reported at 8.330 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.458 % for 2016. Korea Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 14.512 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.844 % in 1993 and a record low of 8.330 % in 2017. Korea Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Contributing family workers are those workers who hold 'self-employment jobs' as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

In 2024, the average wealth in households with five or more persons in South Korea was around 749.4 million South Korean won. The average wealth of one-person households amounted to about 212.2 million South Korean won that year.

North Korea KP: Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern Methods: % of Married Women with Demand for Family Planning data was reported at 89.800 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 76.700 % for 2010. North Korea KP: Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern Methods: % of Married Women with Demand for Family Planning data is updated yearly, averaging 83.250 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2014, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.800 % in 2014 and a record low of 76.700 % in 2010. North Korea KP: Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern Methods: % of Married Women with Demand for Family Planning data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods refers to the percentage of married women ages 15-49 years whose need for family planning is satisfied with modern methods.; ; Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).; Weighted Average;

In 1900, the fertility rate in the region of present-day South Korea was six children per woman, meaning that the average woman born in South Korea in that year could expect to have six children over the course of their reproductive years. This number began to fluctuate in the 1930s, when the Japanese administration (the Korean peninsula had been annexed by Japan in 1910) promoted fertility as part of the war effort, before fertility dropped below 5.2 births per woman in the aftermath of the war. It then increased above 6.3 in the 1950s due to the devastation and mass-displacement caused by the Korean War. As stability returned to the region, South Korea's fertility rate would fall sharply throughout the remainder of the century, as modernization, urbanization, and the implementation of family planning programs would see fertility fall to just over 1.5 children per woman by 1990.

Sex-selective abortion and gender ratios Abortion was illegal in South Korea between 1953 and 2020, although it was permitted in some cases from 1973 onward. Despite this, these laws were rarely enforced, and sex-selective abortion became widespread following advancements in ultrasound technology. In many Asian societies, it was often preferred to have male children as they were viewed as being better long-term providers for their parents and they would carry on the family name. In South Korea in the early 1990s, the practice of sex-selective abortion became so widespread that the gender ratio at birth was 114 males for every 100 females (reportedly as high as 125 in some cities), compared to the historical and natural average of approximately 105 males per 100 females. The government then prohibited doctors from revealing the gender of unborn babies to the parents in 1987, and introduced more severe penalties in 1994, in an attempt to revert this trend. The gender imbalance then reduced in the following decades, and has been at 106 males per 100 females since the 2010s (roughly the natural average). Abortion rights in South Korea were expanded in 2021.

Lowest in the world? Despite government initiatives aimed at increasing fertility, including financial incentives, South Korea's fertility rate has continued to fall in recent years, and today is at around half of replacement level. In 2020, it is estimated that the average woman born in South Korea will have just over one child over the course of their reproductive years. Some critics cite economic factors, such as high education and housing costs, for the reason that young couples are postponing marriage and having families; today, South Korea has the lowest adolescent fertility rate, and the lowest overall fertility rate in the Asia Pacific region. Due to the current trajectory of South Korea's fertility rate, in January 2021, it was announced that the South Korean population experienced a natural decline for the first time in it's history.

In 2024, the average net worth of households in South Korea amounted to around 449 million South Korean won, up from about 435 million South Korean won in the previous year. The average wealth of households in South Korea has risen steadily in recent years.

Japan Avg No.of Nights: South Korea: Travel: Family data was reported at 3.173 Night in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.890 Night for Dec 2017. Japan Avg No.of Nights: South Korea: Travel: Family data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.974 Night from Mar 2014 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.409 Night in Sep 2016 and a record low of 2.662 Night in Jun 2014. Japan Avg No.of Nights: South Korea: Travel: Family data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.Q030: Tourism and Leisure: Average Number of Nights Stay by Nationality.

In 2022, the average living space per person in South Korea was about 35 square meters. This was the first increase in two years and a continuation of a slow general increase in living space per person.

Housing prices in South Korea Almost half of the country’s population lives in the metropolitan Seoul Capital Area, comprising the cities of Seoul and Incheon, as well as Gyeonggi Province. Accordingly, purchased apartment prices are especially high in and around Seoul. Within the capital, the popular Gangnam district ranks among the areas with the highest selling prices for apartments. South Korean home ownership Although all age groups favor home ownership, the rate of actual ownership increases with age. With increasing difficulty to finance housing in the city, as well as the country’s problem with a low fertility rate, the government responded by offering favorable loans to millennials. The goal is to incentivize younger generations to afford housing closer to their workplaces and with sufficient space to found families.

Korea Community Health Workers: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.377 Ratio in 2009. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.362 Ratio for 2008. Korea Community Health Workers: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.340 Ratio from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2009, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.377 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 0.321 Ratio in 2005. Korea Community Health Workers: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Community health workers include various types of community health aides, many with country-specific occupational titles such as community health officers, community health-education workers, family health workers, lady health visitors and health extension package workers.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data was reported at 37.964 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 38.007 % for 2016. KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data is updated yearly, averaging 37.794 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40.296 % in 1998 and a record low of 29.045 % in 1991. KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: % of Total Employement data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Contributing family workers are those workers who hold 'self-employment jobs' as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

North Korea KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data was reported at 57.620 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 57.653 % for 2016. North Korea KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 56.365 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.760 % in 1998 and a record low of 41.776 % in 1991. North Korea KP: Contributing Family Workers: Modeled ILO Estimate: Female: % of Female Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s North Korea – Table KP.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Contributing family workers are those workers who hold 'self-employment jobs' as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.