Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea
South Korea: Fertility rate: births per woman was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea stood at 0.72 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 40.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea peaked at 6.18 live births per woman in 1957 and was at its lowest, 0.72 live births per woman, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 234th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.14 live births per woman | 6.06 live births per woman | 6.18 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.1 live births per woman | 4.45 live births per woman | 5.99 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.49 live births per woman | 2.7 live births per woman | 4.46 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.98 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 2.73 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.62 live births per woman | 1.47 live births per woman | 1.74 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.22 live births per woman | 1.11 live births per woman | 1.47 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.14 live births per woman | 0.881 live births per woman | 1.27 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7738 live births per woman | 0.72 live births per woman | 0.812 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 231 Puerto Rico 0.941 live births per woman compare
- 232 Taiwan 0.87 live births per woman compare
- 233 Saint Barthelemy 0.801 live births per woman compare
- 235 Hong Kong 0.717 live births per woman compare
- 236 Macao 0.662 live births per woman compare
More population data for South Korea
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 4,241 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. GDP per capita 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.18 live births per woman in 1957.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- South Korea ranks 234th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.