In 2022, the sex ratio in South Korea was approximately **** men for every 100 women. By 2050, this ratio is projected to fall to **** and then increase to ***** by 2072. Gender equality in South Korea Despite the progress made in educational and economic equality for women over the past few decades, disparities between South Korean men and women continue to exist across all areas of society. In 2023, South Korean men earned over ** percent more than women, making the country’s gender pay gap the highest among OECD member countries. Although a gender quota for proportional representation in parliamentary elections has been implemented, many citizens believe these measures are insufficient for achieving gender equality in politics. As of 2024, women held only ** percent of the seats in the National Assembly. Opinions on gender discrimination According to a survey conducted in 2024, discrimination against women was perceived as more widespread than discrimination against men across various areas, including the workplace, home, and school. Over half of the respondents believed that discrimination against women in the workplace was a serious issue, while only ** percent felt the same way about discrimination against men. Additionally, when it comes to the future of gender equality in South Korean society, about ** percent of respondents expressed a lack of optimism.

The number of males per 100 females across South Korea has varied over time for each age group. In 2023, for over 65-year olds, this ratio was the lowest at around **** males per 100 females. When looking at the entire population, the gender ratio in South Korea is relatively balanced. Gender re-balancing The gender ratio has not always been as balanced as it is today. Traditional Korean values were responsible for the high sex ratio, as men were seen as more capable to support their families financially and to continue the family lineage. In order to combat this, a law was passed in 1988 preventing doctors from revealing the gender of a fetus to pregnant parents. Combined with progression in many other areas in life for women, including length of education and work opportunities, this led to South Korea becoming the "first Asian country to reverse the trend in rising sex ratios at birth". Equality for all? While the sex ratio in the country is now relatively balanced, many women in South Korea still face discrimination in other areas of life. The labor market is one area which is not equal for men and women. The gender pay gap in South Korea is still prominent, with men earning significantly more than women. As of 2019, many South Koreans believed not enough was being done to achieve gender equality in business , which highlights the population’s willingness to overcome inequality in the country.

In 2023, the number of male births per 100 female births in South Korea was *****. The sex ratio at birth has declined overall in South Korea over the last decades.

Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.070 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.070 Ratio for 2015. Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.070 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.140 Ratio in 1992 and a record low of 1.070 Ratio in 2016. Korea Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) in South Korea was reported at 1.058 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

North Korea KP: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.050 Ratio in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.050 Ratio for 2016. North Korea KP: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.050 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.050 Ratio in 2017 and a record low of 1.050 Ratio in 2017. North Korea KP: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

In 2022, there were approximately ***** male births for every 100 female births in Jeju, South Korea. The lowest ratio was in Jeonbuk (North Jeolla Province), at **** male births.

In 2025, South Korea's male population is projected to reach about ***** million, while the female population is estimated at ***** million. In the long term, South Korea's population is expected to decline, reaching about ***** million in 2072.

In 2024, the female population in Seoul, South Korea's capital, totaled about 4.83 million, surpassing the male population of about 4.51 million. Seoul's population has been steadily declining in recent years, while the share of female residents increased.

Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, gender parity index (GPI) in South Korea was reported at 0.98942 GPI in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, gender parity index - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 0.770 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.763 Ratio for 2014. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 0.566 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.770 Ratio in 2015 and a record low of 0.311 Ratio in 1980. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.001 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.999 Ratio for 2014. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 0.983 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.025 Ratio in 2004 and a record low of 0.646 Ratio in 1971. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in secondary education is the ratio of girls to boys enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

In 2024, the employment rate of four-year university graduates in South Korea stood at 64.6 percent. Male graduates had a consistently higher employment rate than female graduates.

Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.005 Ratio in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.006 Ratio for 2014. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 1.005 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.034 Ratio in 1996 and a record low of 0.968 Ratio in 1971. Korea Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in primary education is the ratio of girls to boys enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 37.717 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37.150 % for 2016. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 46.447 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.414 % in 1962 and a record low of 36.323 % in 2013. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 0.551 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.504 Ratio for 2009. North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 0.528 Ratio from Dec 2009 (Median) to 2015, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.551 Ratio in 2015 and a record low of 0.504 Ratio in 2009. North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross 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: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

This study enables research on desired sex ratios, expressed gender preference, and fertility intentions according to sex composition of existing children in Korean families for 2003-2004. The documentation for this study is entirely in the Korean language.

School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) in South Korea was reported at 0.99642 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Ratio of girls to boys in primary and secondary education - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

As of June 6, 2025, ** out of 296 seats in South Korea's National Assembly were held by women, while men held *** seats. Women only made up around ** percent of all parliamentarians. While there has been some improvement in female representation over the past decade, the percentage of women in parliament still lags behind that of many other countries.

North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.011 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.000 Ratio for 2009. North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 1.005 Ratio from Dec 2009 (Median) to 2015, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.011 Ratio in 2015 and a record low of 1.000 Ratio in 2009. North Korea KP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Secondary School Enrollment: Gross 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: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in secondary education is the ratio of girls to boys enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).