South Korea Population
South Korea had an estimated population of 51,684,564 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 29th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.63% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.13% a year.
South Korea at a glance
How South Korea's population is changing
South Korea's population is roughly stable: −0.13% a year, which works out to about −66,458 people per year, or −182 a day. Births (4.7 per 1,000) and deaths (7.0 per 1,000) alone would give −0.23% a year; net migration adds about 65,731 people a year (+0.13%). Roughly one in every 159 people on Earth lives in South Korea.
Population of South Korea since 1960
In 1960, South Korea had 25,012,374 people. By 2025 that was 51,684,564 — 2.1× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 29%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 25,012,374 | — |
| 1970 | 32,240,827 | +28.9% |
| 1980 | 38,123,775 | +18.2% |
| 1990 | 42,869,283 | +12.4% |
| 2000 | 47,008,111 | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 49,554,112 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 51,836,239 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | 51,684,564 | −0.3% |
South Korea from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put South Korea at about 9,395,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 51,667,035 in 2025 (5× 1800) and projects 21,848,795 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2020 at 51,858,481 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 9,395,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 9,548,156 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 9,687,522 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 19,757,319 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 46,766,660 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 51,667,035 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 45,143,134 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 31,974,835 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 21,848,795 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in South Korea
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 51,684,564. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul | 22,490,482 | UN urban centre | 43.51% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Busan | 3,343,903 | metropolitan city | 6.47% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 3 | Incheon | 3,016,250 | metropolitan city | 5.84% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 4 | Daegu | 2,365,523 | metropolitan city | 4.58% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 5 | Daejeon | 1,470,336 | metropolitan city | 2.84% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 6 | Gwangju | 1,411,357 | metropolitan city | 2.73% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 7 | Gwangju | 1,411,357 | metropolitan city | 2.73% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 8 | Suwon | 1,234,582 | GeoNames settlement | 2.39% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Ulsan | 1,098,728 | metropolitan city | 2.13% | GeoNames administrative-unit record; Population reference date not supplied in local record; GeoNames record modified 2026-04-16 (not the population date) |
| 10 | Goyang-si | 1,061,752 | GeoNames settlement | 2.05% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How South Korea compares
South Korea has almost the same population as Sudan (51,662,147).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs South Korea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #27 |  Myanmar | 54,850,648 | +6% | compare → |
| #28 |  Colombia | 53,425,635 | +3% | compare → |
| #30 |  Sudan | 51,662,147 | −0% | compare → |
| #31 |  Uganda | 51,384,894 | −1% | compare → |
Compare South Korea with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around South Korea
Land neighbours (1)
North Korea 26,571,036 · 1.9× smaller · compare
South Korea's 1 neighbours together hold 26,571,036 people — 0.5× South Korea's population. The most populous is North Korea (26,571,036).
In its region
South Korea is the 8th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 2.2% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring South Korea
- Fastest-shrinking countries #25
- Lowest birth rates #2
- Most densely populated countries #24
- Highest life expectancy #14
Cities
Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gwangju, Suwon — all South Korea's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · South Korea when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
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.