Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea

South Korea: Age dependency ratio young of working age population was 15.52 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
15.52
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
235th
of 236 countries
All-time high
81.57
in 1966
All-time low
15.52
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea, 1950–2023

20406080195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea is 15.52, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 22.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea peaked at 81.57 in 1966 and was at its lowest, 15.52, in 2023.

That places South Korea 235th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 78.76 —
1951 78.5 -0.3%
1952 77.28 -1.6%
1953 75.48 -2.3%
1954 73.91 -2.1%
1955 72.79 -1.5%
1956 72.08 -1.0%
1957 71.73 -0.5%
1958 72.06 +0.4%
1959 73.08 +1.4%
1960 74.35 +1.7%
1961 75.81 +2.0%
1962 77.48 +2.2%
1963 79.12 +2.1%
1964 80.41 +1.6%
1965 81.2 +1.0%
1966 81.57 +0.5%
1967 81.19 -0.5%
1968 80.31 -1.1%
1969 79.13 -1.5%
1970 77.34 -2.3%
1971 75.5 -2.4%
1972 73.79 -2.3%
1973 71.73 -2.8%
1974 69.33 -3.3%
1975 66.58 -4.0%
1976 63.66 -4.4%
1977 60.98 -4.2%
1978 58.57 -4.0%
1979 56.54 -3.5%
1980 54.76 -3.1%
1981 53.13 -3.0%
1982 51.69 -2.7%
1983 50.13 -3.0%
1984 48.2 -3.8%
1985 46.05 -4.5%
1986 43.92 -4.6%
1987 41.93 -4.5%
1988 40.18 -4.2%
1989 38.64 -3.8%
1990 37.27 -3.5%
1991 36.13 -3.1%
1992 35.19 -2.6%
1993 34.37 -2.3%
1994 33.53 -2.4%
1995 32.54 -2.9%
1996 31.53 -3.1%
1997 30.65 -2.8%
1998 29.95 -2.3%
1999 29.46 -1.7%
2000 29.17 -1.0%
2001 28.91 -0.9%
2002 28.55 -1.3%
2003 28.09 -1.6%
2004 27.53 -2.0%
2005 26.82 -2.6%
2006 26.01 -3.0%
2007 25.14 -3.3%
2008 24.25 -3.6%
2009 23.38 -3.6%
2010 22.57 -3.5%
2011 21.68 -4.0%
2012 20.77 -4.2%
2013 20.02 -3.6%
2014 19.38 -3.2%
2015 18.78 -3.1%
2016 18.22 -3.0%
2017 17.8 -2.3%
2018 17.45 -2.0%
2019 17.11 -2.0%
2020 16.81 -1.8%
2021 16.49 -1.9%
2022 16.05 -2.7%
2023 15.52 -3.3%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 15.52 is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.92, 62% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 15.52 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 36.66, 42% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 74.57 71.73 78.76 10
1960s 79.06 74.35 81.57 10
1970s 67.4 56.54 77.34 10
1980s 46.86 38.64 54.76 10
1990s 33.06 29.46 37.27 10
2000s 26.78 23.38 29.17 10
2010s 19.38 17.11 22.57 10
2020s 16.22 15.52 16.81 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 232 Andorra 16.94 compare
  2. 233 Hong Kong 15.81 compare
  3. 234 Singapore 15.69 compare
  4. 236 Vatican 12.2 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea?
Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea was 15.52 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest age dependency ratio young of working age population recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 81.57 in 1966.
What is the lowest age dependency ratio young of working age population recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 15.52 in 2023.
How does South Korea rank for age dependency ratio young of working age population?
South Korea ranks 235th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is age dependency ratio young of working age population rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Age dependency ratio young of working age population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Age dependency ratio young of working age population in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/age-dependency-ratio-young-of-working-age-population/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency ratio young of working age population
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed