In South Korea, approximately 70.69 percent of the population was between 15 and 64 years old in 2023, while those above the age of 64 made up around 18.34 percent. The youngest generation made up an even smaller percentage than the elderly, but were the only group that did not increase in size over the last decade, partly due to a decrease in births since 2007. Reasons for fewer children While it is not always the case that family sizes shrink when there are less births per woman, the fertility rate in South Korea is undisputably decreasing overall and less children are born. The reasons people cite for having fewer children vary greatly by gender and marital status in South Korea: For example, more married people than singles - and of those more married women than men - say that the difficulty of maintaining a work life balance is the largest concern for them. Meanwhile, men express more economic concerns about child support, and notably more singles nowadays say they feel no need to have children.

In 2024, the largest age group in Seoul, South Korea's capital, was those aged 25 to 29, totaling approximately 786,238 individuals. Seoul is home to about 20 percent of the total population

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 Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % of Male Population data was reported at 7.285 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.440 % for 2016. Korea Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 8.780 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.269 % in 1981 and a record low of 6.561 % in 2010. Korea Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % 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 20 to 24 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.; ;

Korea Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.523 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.619 % for 2016. Korea Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 8.210 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.828 % in 1981 and a record low of 5.809 % in 2010. Korea Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % 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 20 to 24 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.; ;

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 15 to 24 Years for Korea (LFWA24TTKRM647S) from Jun 1999 to Apr 2025 about 15 to 24 years, working-age, Korea, and population.

Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 18.555 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.722 % for 2016. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 39.099 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.834 % in 1962 and a record low of 18.555 % in 2017. Korea Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young 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, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--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;

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.; ;

BackgroundCURB65 and CRB65 score are simple and popular methods to estimate the mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Although there has been a global increase in life expectancy and population ageing, we are still using the same age threshold derived from patients in late 1990s to calculate the scores. We sought to assess the implication of using higher age threshold using Korean population data and a single center hospital records.MethodsUsing Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC), we analyzed annual age distribution of CAP patients in Korea from 2005 to 2013 and report how patients aged >65 years increased over time. We also assessed annual change in test characteristics of various age threshold in Korean CAP population. Using a single center hospital registry of CAP patients (2008–2017), we analyzed test characteristics of CURB65 and CRB65 scores with various age thresholds.Results116,481 CAP cases were identified from NHIS-NSC dataset. The proportion of patients aged >65 increased by 1.01% (95% CI, 0.70%-1.33%, P

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Male: From 15 to 24 Years for Korea (LFWA24MAKRQ647S) from Q3 1999 to Q1 2025 about 15 to 24 years, working-age, Korea, males, and population.

In 2023, the population aged 15 years and over in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi amounted to around 11.96 million people. The total working-age population in South Korea stood at about 45.4 million in that year.

Korea Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % of Male Population data was reported at 1.937 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.760 % for 2016. Korea Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.361 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.937 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.213 % in 1960. Korea Population: Male: Ages 80 and Above: % 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 80 and above 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.; ;

Figure S1. A seasonal variation in sarcoidosis incidence rate from 2009 to 2015. Q1, the first quarter; Q2, the second quarter; Q3, the third quarter; Q4, the fourth quarter. Figure S2. Annual change in the proportion of incident cases with claims for bronchoscopy. (ZIP 82 kb)

This bar chart displays median age (year) by continent using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Korea. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

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.

Korea Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 12.991 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.148 % for 2016. Korea Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 25.741 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42.567 % in 1962 and a record low of 12.991 % in 2017. Korea Population: as % of Total: Female: 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. Female population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total female 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; 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.

Korea Population: Total: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 37,370,893.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37,364,822.000 Person for 2016. Korea Population: Total: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 28,845,340.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37,370,893.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 13,357,069.000 Person in 1960. Korea Population: Total: Aged 15-64 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. Total population between the ages 15 to 64. 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;

Korea Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 15.943 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.448 % for 2016. Korea Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 6.306 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.943 % in 2017 and a record low of 4.048 % in 1960. Korea Population: as % of Total: 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 Korea – Table KR.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population 65 years of age or older as a percentage of the total female population. 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; 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.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Male: From 25 to 54 Years for Korea (LFWA25MAKRM647N) from Jun 1999 to Mar 2025 about 25 to 54 years, working-age, Korea, males, and population.

As of 2024, more than four million South Koreans were aged 75 or older. The total number of elderly is expected to more than double between 2020 and 2072. The demographics of South Korea are expected to change significantly in the coming years. Thirty years from now, the number of children and people aged 15 to 64 is estimated to drop by a third, while the number of older people is believed to double. Meanwhile, the total population is expected to drop by more than four million people by this time.