South Korea vs United States
United States has 6.6× the population of South Korea: 341,784,857 vs 51,684,564, a gap of 290.1 million. United States is growing faster (+0.52% vs −0.13% a year), adding about 1,785,717 people a year against −66,458. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. South Korea is the older society: 20.3% aged 65+ against 18.4% in United States, while United States has more children (17.1% under 15 vs 10.2%). South Korea is 14.4× as densely populated (529.8 vs 36.8 people per km²). People in South Korea live 4.7 years longer on average (83.6 vs 78.9). GDP per capita is 2.5× higher in United States ($90,027 vs $36,227).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (South Korea) and 2025 (United States); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
South Korea vs United States — side by side
 South Korea |  United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,684,5642025 | 341,784,8572025 |
| Growth rate / yr | −0.13%2025 | +0.52%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 4.72024 | 10.62024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 7.02024 | 9.02024 |
| Children per woman | 0.752024 | 1.632024 |
| Life expectancy | 83.6 yrs2024 | 78.9 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 10.2%2025 | 17.1%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 20.3%2025 | 18.4%2025 |
| Density | 529.8 /km²2023 | 36.8 /km²2023 |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 | 9,831,510 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 81.2%2025 | 80.2%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +65,7312025 | +1,230,6632025 |
| GDP per capita | $36,2272025 | $90,0272025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #29 | #3 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 0.63% | 4.16% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). South Korea: 2.1× from 1960 to 2025; United States: 1.9× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Regions: East Asia & Pacific · North America · rankings
South Korea: South Korea vs India, South Korea vs China, South Korea vs United States, South Korea vs Indonesia, South Korea vs Pakistan, South Korea vs Nigeria, South Korea vs Brazil, South Korea vs Bangladesh.
United States: United States vs India, United States vs China, United States vs Indonesia, United States vs Pakistan, United States vs Nigeria, United States vs Brazil, United States vs Bangladesh, United States vs Russia.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.