Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in South Korea
South Korea: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 0.721 births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.721 births per woman
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
214th
of 215 countries
All-time high
4.54 births per woman
in 1971
All-time low
0.721 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in South Korea, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in South Korea stood at 0.721 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.3% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in South Korea peaked at 4.54 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.721 births per woman, in 2023.
That places South Korea 214th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.53 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 4.54 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 4.12 births per woman | -9.3% |
| 1973 | 4.07 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 3.77 births per woman | -7.4% |
| 1975 | 3.43 births per woman | -9.0% |
| 1976 | 3 births per woman | -12.5% |
| 1977 | 2.99 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 2.64 births per woman | -11.7% |
| 1979 | 2.9 births per woman | +9.8% |
| 1980 | 2.82 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 2.57 births per woman | -8.9% |
| 1982 | 2.39 births per woman | -7.0% |
| 1983 | 2.06 births per woman | -13.8% |
| 1984 | 1.74 births per woman | -15.5% |
| 1985 | 1.66 births per woman | -4.6% |
| 1986 | 1.58 births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 1.53 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 1.55 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 1.56 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.57 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 1.71 births per woman | +8.9% |
| 1992 | 1.76 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 1.65 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 1994 | 1.66 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 1.63 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 1.57 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 1.54 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 1.46 births per woman | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 1.43 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 1.48 births per woman | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 1.31 births per woman | -11.6% |
| 2002 | 1.18 births per woman | -10.0% |
| 2003 | 1.19 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.16 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 1.08 births per woman | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 1.13 births per woman | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 1.26 births per woman | +11.2% |
| 2008 | 1.19 births per woman | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 1.15 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 1.23 births per woman | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 1.24 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 1.3 births per woman | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 1.19 births per woman | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 1.21 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 1.24 births per woman | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.17 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 1.05 births per woman | -10.2% |
| 2018 | 0.977 births per woman | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 0.918 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 0.837 births per woman | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 0.808 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 0.778 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 0.721 births per woman | -7.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.721 births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 births per woman, 48% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.721 births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 births per woman, 34% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.6 births per woman | 2.64 births per woman | 4.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.95 births per woman | 1.53 births per woman | 2.82 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6 births per woman | 1.43 births per woman | 1.76 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.21 births per woman | 1.08 births per woman | 1.48 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.15 births per woman | 0.918 births per woman | 1.3 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.786 births per woman | 0.721 births per woman | 0.837 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More population data for South Korea
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3601 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.45 (2100)
- Population density 223.86 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 599,530 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.45 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0.007 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in South Korea?
- Fertility rate, total in South Korea was 0.721 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4.54 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.721 births per woman in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for fertility rate, total?
- South Korea ranks 214th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release