******* had the highest level of the Human Development Index (HDI) worldwide in 2023 with a value of *****. With a score of ****, ****** followed closely behind *********** and had the second-highest level of human development in that year. The rise of the Asian tigers In the decades after the Cold War, the four so-called Asian tigers, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong (now a Special Administrative Region of China) experienced rapid economic growth and increasing human development. At number eight and number 13 of the HDI, respectively, *********************** are the only Asian locations within the top-15 highest HDI scores. Both locations have experienced tremendous economic growth since the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 1980, the per capita GDP of Hong Kong was ***** U.S. dollars, increasing throughout the decades until reaching ****** in 2023, which is expected to continue to increase in the future. Meanwhile, in 1989, Singapore had a GDP of nearly ** billion U.S. dollars, which has risen to nearly *** billion U.S. dollars today and is also expected to keep increasing. Growth of the UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the only Middle Eastern country besides Israel within the highest ranking HDI scores globally. Within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UAE has the third-largest GDP behind Saudi Arabia and Israel, reaching nearly *** billion U.S. dollars by 2022. Per capita, the UAE GDP was around ****** U.S. dollars in 1989, and has nearly doubled to ****** U.S. dollars by 2021. Moreover, this is expected to reach over ****** U.S. dollars by 2029. On top of being a major oil producer, the UAE has become a hub for finance and business and attracts millions of tourists annually.

In 2025, Seoul was ranked **** among smart cities worldwide according to multiple indicators covering existing infrastructure, technological services, and categories under the Human Development Index (HDI). This was **** places higher than in the previous year. The capital city of South Korea has risen in global smart city rankings almost every survey year since 2019.

Corée, République de: Human Development Index (0 - 1): Pour cet indicateur, The United Nations fournit des données pour la Corée, République de de 1980 à 2023. La valeur moyenne pour Corée, République de pendant cette période était de 0.843 points avec un minimum de 0.628 points en 1980 et un maximum de 0.937 points en 2023.

In 2023, Busan climbed down to **** in rankings among smart cities worldwide according to multiple indicators covering existing infrastructure, technological services, and categories under the Human Development Index (HDI). The South Korean coastal city had been ** ranks higher just three years prior.

In 2024, the gender gap index score in South Korea stood at 0.7 points, showing that an average gender gap of approximately 30 percent remained in the country. South Korea ranked 94th out of 146 countries surveyed by the gender gap index. Traditional gender roles in South Korea Gender roles in South Korea are vastly different between men and women. Around a third of male and female respondents answered in a survey about perceived traditional male roles that men should not show their weak side and bear the primary responsibility of providing for the family. A survey about traditional female roles showed results of a similar vein. Traditionally male-dominated jobs were considered unsuitable for women. Women were expected not to look strong and focus mainly on childcare, even when working. Such gender roles were reflected in their occupations. According to the 2020 Women in Korea report, a larger percentage of men worked in labor labor-heavy jobs or in top senior management positions such as managers. Whereas In contrast, women tended to work in jobs engaging with customers such as workers in the sales and service sector. Gender gap in the modern workplace   Considering the four key dimensions of the gender gap index, the categories of educational attainment and health and survival achieved the best results, reaching almost full marks with a score of around 0.98 points. In comparison, categories associated with positions of power showed a much larger difference. For example, political empowerment scored about 0.223 points. As of 2018, only 10 percent of respondents saw equal pay as the most important issue facing women in South Korea. Although the majority of women believed that an increase of women in leadership positions would correlate to a better world, only 43 percent of women thought that gender equality would be achieved in their lifetime.

The statistic shows the total population of South Korea from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of South Korea was about 51.75 million people. Population of South Korea South Korea, also called Republic of Korea, has one of the highest population densities worldwide, i.e. a very high number of inhabitants per square kilometer. However, this does not equal bad standard of living; on the Human Development Index, which ranks countries by their level of living standards using key factors, such as unemployment rate, literacy rate, fertility and mortality rates, etc., South Korea is among the highest-ranked countries. When looking at the aforementioned key factors, South Korea indeed seems to offer a fairly stable environment for its inhabitants, economically and demographically: The country’s unemployment rate has been relatively steady for the past decade, its gross domestic product (GDP) is constantly increasing, and it is among the countries with the highest trade surplus worldwide. As for standard of living, life expectancy at birth in South Korea is among the highest worldwide – South Korea is even mentioned in a recent ranking of the best birthplaces for children. Despite the high population density, South Korea is now one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates, i.e. the number of babies born by women of childbearing age. This apparent discrepancy could be explained by a high number of immigrants coupled with the aforementioned high life expectancy.