In 2024, Seoul had the highest population density of all provinces in South Korea, with about ****** people per square kilometer. The port city of Busan, which lies 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, followed with about ***** residents per square kilometer. With 90 people per square kilometer, Gangwon was the province with the lowest population density. Population of Seoul The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is the country's largest city with a population of nearly 9.5 million people, meaning that about 20 percent of South Korea's total population live in Seoul. Together with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon Metropolitan Area, the greater Seoul region (or Seoul Capital Area) is home to half of the total population of South Korea. This region also forms one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Solving the problem of overpopulation in Seoul One of the major problems stemming from overpopulation in Seoul is the housing shortage, leading to a significant surge in real estate prices. Over the past few years, several efforts have been made to curb the excessive population concentration and to solve the associated economic and social problems. In 2007, for example, former President Roh Moo-hyun attempted to move the country's administrative capital to Sejong, which is located 120 kilometers south of Seoul. Although the grand plan did not fully work out, around 40 central administrative agencies have since been moved from Seoul to Sejong, turning the city into the de facto administrative capital of South Korea.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: East Asia and Pacific SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Republic of Korea data available from WorldPop here.

In 2023, the population density in South Korea stood at around 515 inhabitants per square kilometer, slightly up from 514 in the previous year. The nationwide population density has been increasing steadily over the past decades. The highest density was in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with 15,533 people per square kilometer. UrbanizationSouth Korea was primarily an agricultural nation. In the decades following its independence from Japanese rule in 1945, both the dictatorships and democratic governments that governed South Korea focused on industrializing and modernizing the country. The urban population has grown by about four million over the past 20 years, while the rural population has fallen by around one million. In 2023, around 81 percent of the population lived in an urban area. The most populous city SeoulSeoul’s high population density is not surprising. The capital city is typically grouped with the province of Gyeonggi, which resembles a donut with Seoul at its center, and the metropolitan port city of Incheon, collectively known as the Seoul Capital Area. This is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of South Korea. With more than nine million residents, half of South Korea’s population lives in this area.

The total population in South Korea was estimated at 51.8 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - South Korea Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

KR: Population: Male: Ages 40-44: % of Male Population data was reported at 8.200 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.461 % for 2016. KR: Population: Male: Ages 40-44: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.950 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.981 % in 2012 and a record low of 4.172 % in 1970. KR: Population: Male: Ages 40-44: % of Male Population 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. Male population between the ages 40 to 44 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Cheongju, South Korea metro area from 1950 to 2025.

In 2023, the South Korean city of Incheon experienced a population growth of approximately 1.2 percent, followed by Chungnam Province at around 1.1 percent. Meanwhile, Gangwon Province saw no change in its population.

KR: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female Population data was reported at 4.759 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.622 % for 2016. KR: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.458 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.759 % in 2017 and a record low of 1.539 % in 1969. KR: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female 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. Female population between the ages 65 to 69 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

In 2024, Seoul's population amounted to around 9.3 million, a decline from approximately 9.4 million residents in the previous year. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is one of the cities with the highest population densities in the world.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Seoul, South Korea metro area from 1950 to 2025.

KR: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 4,099,600.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,954,460.000 Person for 2016. KR: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 1,328,973.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,099,600.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 502,901.000 Person in 1960. KR: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above 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. Female population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

KR: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male Population data was reported at 3.264 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.107 % for 2016. KR: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.044 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.264 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.745 % in 1974. KR: Population: Male: Ages 70-74: % of Male 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. Male population between the ages 70 to 74 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

In 2024, the population of Gyeonggi Province in South Korea stood at around 13.7 million. Seoul followed with about 9.3 million inhabitants. The total population of South Korea stood at around 51.2 million that year.

South Korea population density for 2022 was 529.43, a 0.19% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Korea population density for 2021 was <strong>530.43</strong>, a <strong>0.13% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>South Korea population density for 2020 was <strong>531.11</strong>, a <strong>0.14% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>South Korea population density for 2019 was <strong>530.38</strong>, a <strong>0.27% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

Urban population in South Korea was reported at 42123031 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Korea - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2025.

KR: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 13.955 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.152 % for 2016. KR: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 27.646 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 44.881 % in 1962 and a record low of 13.955 % in 2017. KR: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 0-14 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. Male population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total male population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

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.

In 1800, it is estimated that approximately 9.4 million people lived in the region of modern-day South Korea (and 13.8 million on the entire peninsula). The population of this region would remain fairly constant through much of the 19th century, but would begin to grow gradually starting in the mid-1800s, as the fall of the Joseon dynasty and pressure from the U.S. and Japan would end centuries of Korean isolationism. Following the opening of the country to foreign trade, the Korean peninsula would begin to modernize, and by the start of the 20th century, it would have a population of just over ten million. The Korean peninsula was then annexed by Japan in 1910, whose regime implemented industrialization and modernization policies that saw the population of South Korea rising from just under ten million in 1900, to over fifteen million by the start of the Second World War in 1939.

The Korean War Like most regions, the end of the Second World War coincided with a baby boom, that helped see South Korea's population grow by almost two million between 1945 and 1950. However, this boom would stop suddenly in the early 1950s, due to disruption caused by the Korean War. After WWII, the peninsula was split along the 38th parallel, with governments on both sides claiming to be the legitimate rulers of all Korea. Five years of tensions then culminated in North Korea's invasion of the South in June 1950, in the first major conflict of the Cold War. In September, the UN-backed South then repelled the Soviet- and Chinese-backed Northern army, and the frontlines would then fluctuate on either side of the 38th parallel throughout the next three years. The war came to an end in July, 1953, and had an estimated death toll of three million fatalities. The majority of fatalities were civilians on both sides, although the North suffered a disproportionate amount due to extensive bombing campaigns of the U.S. Unlike North Korea, the South's total population did not fall during the war.

Post-war South Korea Between the war's end and the late 1980s, the South's total population more than doubled. In these decades, South Korea was generally viewed as a nominal democracy under authoritarian and military leadership; it was not until 1988 when South Korea transitioned into a stable democracy, and grew its international presence. Much of South Korea's rapid socio-economic growth in the late 20th century was based on the West German model, and was greatly assisted by Japanese and U.S. investment. Today, South Korea is considered one of the world's wealthiest and most developed nations, ranking highly in terms of GDP, human development and life expectancy; it is home to some of the most valuable brands in the world, such as Samsung and Hyundai; and has a growing international cultural presence in music and cinema. In the past decades, South Korea's population growth has somewhat slowed, however it remains one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with total population of more than 51 million people.

KR: Population: as % of Total: Male data was reported at 50.038 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 50.046 % for 2016. KR: Population: as % of Total: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 50.153 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.378 % in 1962 and a record low of 50.038 % in 2017. KR: Population: as % of Total: Male 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. Male population is the percentage of the population that is male. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Total current population for North Korea in 2025 is 26,319,924, a 0.29% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for North Korea in 2024 was <strong>26,244,582</strong>, a <strong>0.32% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for North Korea in 2023 was <strong>26,160,821</strong>, a <strong>0.35% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for North Korea in 2022 was <strong>26,069,416</strong>, a <strong>0.38% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.