Fertility rate, total in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Fertility rate, total was 0.721 births per woman in 2023. β Volatile
Fertility rate, total in Republic of Korea, 1970β2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in Republic of 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 Republic of Korea peaked at 4.54 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.721 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Republic of 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.
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 Republic of Korea
- 211 Singapore 0.97 births per woman compare
- 212 Puerto Rico 0.92 births per woman compare
- 213 Hong Kong, China 0.751 births per woman compare
- 215 Macau, China 0.586 births per woman compare
More population data for Republic of Korea
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 599,530 (2100)
- Population density 223.86 (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3601 % change on previous year (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 0.748 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 4,241 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 0.748 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 0.748 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception, annual growth rate 3.74 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Republic of Korea?
- Fertility rate, total in Republic of Korea was 0.721 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4.54 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.721 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for fertility rate, total?
- Republic of Korea ranks 214th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Republic of 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 Β· JSON β 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release