Number of births per year in South Korea
South Korea: Number of births per year was 236,394 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
236,394
Change on year
down 7.9%
World rank
81st
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.10 million
in 1960
All-time low
236,394
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of births per year in South Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, number of births per year in South Korea stood at 236,394. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.9% on the previous year and down 45.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of births per year in South Korea peaked at 1.10 million in 1960 and was at its lowest, 236,394, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 81st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Number of births per year in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 784,803 | — |
| 1951 | 811,470 | +3.4% |
| 1952 | 842,481 | +3.8% |
| 1953 | 879,007 | +4.3% |
| 1954 | 910,760 | +3.6% |
| 1955 | 942,519 | +3.5% |
| 1956 | 977,327 | +3.7% |
| 1957 | 1.02 million | +4.0% |
| 1958 | 1.05 million | +3.4% |
| 1959 | 1.08 million | +2.8% |
| 1960 | 1.10 million | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 1.10 million | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 1.07 million | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 1.05 million | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 1.01 million | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 988,466 | -2.2% |
| 1966 | 978,557 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 961,491 | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 958,414 | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 965,717 | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 987,604 | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 961,733 | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 928,258 | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 900,511 | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 868,320 | -3.6% |
| 1975 | 838,408 | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 819,505 | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 807,976 | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 772,737 | -4.4% |
| 1979 | 823,277 | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 853,589 | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 895,271 | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 868,685 | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 790,777 | -9.0% |
| 1984 | 717,482 | -9.3% |
| 1985 | 686,800 | -4.3% |
| 1986 | 667,624 | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 656,703 | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 657,214 | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 663,912 | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 684,376 | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 729,680 | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 739,339 | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 711,775 | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 704,169 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 692,785 | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 672,524 | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 653,059 | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 624,901 | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 607,708 | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 599,446 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 541,042 | -9.7% |
| 2002 | 489,165 | -9.6% |
| 2003 | 472,791 | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 455,459 | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 432,815 | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 440,301 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 462,242 | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 447,507 | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 437,242 | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 449,665 | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 455,314 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 460,037 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 433,882 | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 427,701 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 424,787 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 397,938 | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 356,023 | -10.5% |
| 2018 | 322,572 | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 295,280 | -8.5% |
| 2020 | 270,034 | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 259,300 | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 256,588 | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 236,394 | -7.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 236,394 is above the median for high income countries, which is 21,434, 11.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 236,394 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 30,561, 7.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 929,627 | 784,803 | 1.08 million | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.02 million | 958,414 | 1.10 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 870,833 | 772,737 | 987,604 | 10 |
| 1980s | 745,806 | 656,703 | 895,271 | 10 |
| 1990s | 682,032 | 607,708 | 739,339 | 10 |
| 2000s | 477,801 | 432,815 | 599,446 | 10 |
| 2010s | 402,320 | 295,280 | 460,037 | 10 |
| 2020s | 255,579 | 236,394 | 270,034 | 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 number of births per year in South Korea?
- Number of births per year in South Korea was 236,394 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of births per year recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.10 million in 1960.
- What is the lowest number of births per year recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 236,394 in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for number of births per year?
- South Korea ranks 81st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of births per year rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.5%. 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 Number of births per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).