Birth seasonality in South Korea
South Korea: Birth seasonality was 10.29 births per million people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.29 births per million people
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
40th
of 40 countries
All-time high
47.54 births per million people
in 1981
All-time low
10.29 births per million people
in 2023
Years of data
43
1981–2023
Birth seasonality in South Korea, 1981–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per million people.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 10.29 births per million people for birth seasonality in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 43 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 49.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth seasonality in South Korea peaked at 47.54 births per million people in 1981 and was at its lowest, 10.29 births per million people, in 2023.
That places South Korea 40th out of 40 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Birth seasonality in South Korea, year by year
| Year | births per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 47.54 births per million people | — |
| 1982 | 45.76 births per million people | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 40.6 births per million people | -11.3% |
| 1984 | 33.26 births per million people | -18.1% |
| 1985 | 35.89 births per million people | +7.9% |
| 1986 | 32.9 births per million people | -8.3% |
| 1987 | 31.56 births per million people | -4.1% |
| 1988 | 35.16 births per million people | +11.4% |
| 1989 | 36.93 births per million people | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 33.21 births per million people | -10.1% |
| 1991 | 40.96 births per million people | +23.4% |
| 1992 | 41.2 births per million people | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 38.85 births per million people | -5.7% |
| 1994 | 38.75 births per million people | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 41.01 births per million people | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 37.34 births per million people | -8.9% |
| 1997 | 37.16 births per million people | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 34.51 births per million people | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 33.76 births per million people | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 33.96 births per million people | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 28.16 births per million people | -17.1% |
| 2002 | 24.51 births per million people | -13.0% |
| 2003 | 25.93 births per million people | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 23.38 births per million people | -9.9% |
| 2005 | 21.89 births per million people | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 22.95 births per million people | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 24.06 births per million people | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 22.6 births per million people | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 21.8 births per million people | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 22.93 births per million people | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 21.84 births per million people | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 21.95 births per million people | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 20.37 births per million people | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 20.74 births per million people | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 20.17 births per million people | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 17.27 births per million people | -14.4% |
| 2017 | 15.82 births per million people | -8.4% |
| 2018 | 14.31 births per million people | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 13.34 births per million people | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 12.34 births per million people | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 10.8 births per million people | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 10.64 births per million people | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 10.29 births per million people | -3.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 10.29 births per million people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.05 births per million people, 64% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 10.29 births per million people is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.36 births per million people, 44% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37.73 births per million people | 31.56 births per million people | 47.54 births per million people | 9 |
| 1990s | 37.68 births per million people | 33.21 births per million people | 41.2 births per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.92 births per million people | 21.8 births per million people | 33.96 births per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.87 births per million people | 13.34 births per million people | 22.93 births per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.02 births per million people | 10.29 births per million people | 12.34 births per million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More population data for South Korea
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 599,530 people (2100)
- Population density 223.86 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.4% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3601 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.1882 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth seasonality in South Korea?
- Birth seasonality in South Korea was 10.29 births per million people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth seasonality recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 47.54 births per million people in 1981.
- What is the lowest birth seasonality recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.29 births per million people in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for birth seasonality?
- South Korea ranks 40th out of 40 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth seasonality rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth seasonality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average daily number of births, per million people, calculated for December.