Total current population for South Korea in 2025 is 51,690,479, a 0.1% decline from 2024.

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

<li>Total population for South Korea in 2024 was <strong>51,741,963</strong>, a <strong>0.06% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for South Korea in 2023 was <strong>51,712,619</strong>, a <strong>0.08% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for South Korea in 2022 was <strong>51,672,569</strong>, a <strong>0.19% decline</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.

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 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 Projection: 10 Years data was reported at 277,270.000 Person in 2065. This records a decrease from the previous number of 278,588.000 Person for 2064. Korea Population Projection: 10 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 494,487.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2065, with 106 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 989,791.000 Person in 1970 and a record low of 277,270.000 Person in 2065. Korea Population Projection: 10 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G003: Population Projection: Statistics Korea.

In 2024, the number of births in South Korea stood at *******, a slight increase compared to the previous year. Around two decades earlier, this number was twice as high. Declining fertility in South Korea A phenomenon that most East Asian countries and territories grapple with is a stark decline in fertility rates. This is especially evident in South Korea, which has the lowest fertility rate in the world, far below the 2.1 children per woman threshold that represents replacement fertility. In response to the expected economic consequences of a declining population, South Korea has implemented various initiatives to encourage married couples to have children. Factors contributing to low birth rates in South Korea One major element is the societal change in attitudes toward childbirth. In a survey, half of the South Korean respondents asserted that marriages can be happy without children, and a sizable share also stated that having children was dependent on economic factors. In addition, an increasing number of South Koreans are choosing not to get married. In 2023, South Korea recorded one of the lowest numbers of marriages in its history. Furthermore, there has been a growing trend among South Korean women to prioritize their financial independence and career continuity over traditional expectations of childbearing.

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.

Korea Population: Mid Year: 10 to 14 Years data was reported at 2,266.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,326.687 Person th for 2016. Korea Population: Mid Year: 10 to 14 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 3,724.803 Person th from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,740.548 Person th in 1973 and a record low of 2,266.000 Person th in 2017. Korea Population: Mid Year: 10 to 14 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G002: Population: Mid Year.

Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 Years data was reported at 142,123.000 Person in 2065. This records a decrease from the previous number of 142,798.000 Person for 2064. Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 256,883.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2065, with 106 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 513,156.000 Person in 1970 and a record low of 142,123.000 Person in 2065. Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.G004: Population Projection: Statistics Korea.

The annual population growth in South Korea increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year. Therefore, 2023 was a significant increase in the population growth. Population growth refers to the annual change in population, and is based on the balance between birth and death rates, as well as migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Japan and Hong Kong.

Korea Population: Mid Year: Female: 10 to 14 Years data was reported at 1,092.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,117.843 Person th for 2016. Korea Population: Mid Year: Female: 10 to 14 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 1,793.341 Person th from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,280.415 Person th in 1973 and a record low of 1,092.000 Person th in 2017. Korea Population: Mid Year: Female: 10 to 14 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.G002: Population: Mid Year.

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 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 population of South Korea was estimated to be about ***** million. The population of North Korea was approximately ***** million, which is roughly half the population of South Korea. Economic comparison between South and North Korea Following the Korean War (1950-1953), South Korea and North Korea pursued vastly different trajectories, both politically and economically. South Korea embraced capitalism and free market principles, which fueled its rapid economic growth and transformed it into one of the world's leading economies. In contrast, North Korea adopted a state-controlled, centrally planned economy, leading to isolation and economic stagnation. While South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) reached around ***** trillion South Korean won in 2023, only about ** trillion won was recorded for North Korea. Food crisis in North Korea North Korea has faced food insecurity for a long time, and this has been exacerbated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was estimated that the country had a food shortage of around ******* metric tons in 2023. Although the North Korean government maintains a centrally planned economic system, food distribution has long been a problem, as an increasing number of North Korean defectors have reported that they have never received food from North Korean authorities.

Korea Population Projection: 10 to 14 Years data was reported at 1,403,415.000 Person in 2065. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,414,090.000 Person for 2064. Korea Population Projection: 10 to 14 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 2,700,504.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2065, with 106 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,740,548.000 Person in 1973 and a record low of 1,403,415.000 Person in 2065. Korea Population Projection: 10 to 14 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G003: Population Projection: Statistics Korea.

Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 to 14 Years data was reported at 719,296.000 Person in 2065. This records a decrease from the previous number of 724,764.000 Person for 2064. Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 to 14 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 1,396,219.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2065, with 106 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,460,133.000 Person in 1973 and a record low of 719,296.000 Person in 2065. Korea Population Projection: Male: 10 to 14 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Korea – Table KR.G004: Population Projection: Statistics Korea.

Korea Population: Mid Year: 35 to 39 Years data was reported at 4,063.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,969.413 Person th for 2016. Korea Population: Mid Year: 35 to 39 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 2,754.613 Person th from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,509.979 Person th in 2008 and a record low of 1,370.125 Person th in 1960. Korea Population: Mid Year: 35 to 39 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Korea. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.G002: Population: Mid Year.

The datatsets are available in dta format. They contain information about the number of workers in South Korea in terms of their old residence, current residence, and current workplace location. Its observation unit is the districts of South Korea. Please refer to "codebook.xlsx" for the list of variables. It is constructed based on the individual records of the Population Census of South Korea (three waves: 2005, 2010, and 2015). These records were remotely accessed via RAS at Microdata Integrated Service, Statistics Korea. For security and confidentiality reasons, records cannot be moved out of the remote server. Instead, Statistics Korea approved the export of these data sets ("census20yy.dta" for yy = 05, 10, 15), which capture the migration and commuting patterns and DOES NOT contain any information that identifies specific individuals or groups. An excel file (codebook) is provided. These datasets may not be reused or redistributed without permission. Researchers interested in using the datasets for any purpose or anyone with questions about the datasets may contact Wookun Kim at wookunkim@smu.edu. Researchers interested in accessing the raw Census data via the Remote Access Service (RAS) at MDIS must follow the following steps: (1) register online with Statistics Korea and create an account (this step requires resident registration number and contact information in Korea); (2) submit an application with a detailed description of the proposed project, its purpose, its data requirements (e.g., “인구주택총조사 2015” in this case), its empirical methods, and its social contribution via the MDIS website. It may take months from the initial submission of an application to accessing data via RAS. This website (https://mdis.kostat.go.kr/eng/pageLink.do?link=mdisService) provides detailed access information. For additional information about MDIS, researchers may submit an inquiry directly to MDIS at mdis@stat.or.kr.

In 2024, Seoul's population amounted to around *** million, a decline from approximately *** 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 Busan, South Korea metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Korea Population: Male: Ages 10-14: % of Male Population data was reported at 4.863 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.008 % for 2016. Korea Population: Male: Ages 10-14: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 9.987 % from Dec 1960 to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.962 % in 1970 and a record low of 4.863 % in 2017. Korea Population: Male: Ages 10-14: % 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 10 to 14 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.; ;