Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea
South Korea: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.8115 people per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea stood at 0.8115 people per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea peaked at 0.8168 people per person in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.2891 people per person, in 1960.
That places South Korea 52nd out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.2891 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.2965 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1962 | 0.3033 people per person | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 0.3103 people per person | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 0.318 people per person | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 0.3261 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 0.3356 people per person | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 0.3498 people per person | +4.2% |
| 1968 | 0.3693 people per person | +5.6% |
| 1969 | 0.3909 people per person | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 0.4109 people per person | +5.1% |
| 1971 | 0.4281 people per person | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 0.4435 people per person | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 0.4584 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 0.4731 people per person | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 0.4878 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 0.5031 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 0.5191 people per person | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 0.5354 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 0.5516 people per person | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 0.5668 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 0.5828 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 0.6 people per person | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 0.6168 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 0.6345 people per person | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 0.6534 people per person | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 0.6739 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.6972 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 0.7209 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 0.743 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 0.7608 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 0.7715 people per person | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 0.7777 people per person | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.7832 people per person | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.7871 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 0.7888 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.7895 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 0.7897 people per person | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.7909 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 0.7916 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 0.7917 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7933 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 0.7969 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 0.8007 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.8045 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 0.8083 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.8084 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.8086 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.8067 people per person | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.8066 people per person | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.8067 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.8063 people per person | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.8093 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.8125 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 0.814 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.8159 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.8168 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.8167 people per person | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.8147 people per person | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.8129 people per person | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.8121 people per person | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.8129 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 0.8134 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 0.8122 people per person | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 0.8112 people per person | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 0.8115 people per person | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.8115 people per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.8051 people per person, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.8115 people per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6545 people per person, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3289 people per person | 0.2891 people per person | 0.3909 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.4811 people per person | 0.4109 people per person | 0.5516 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6489 people per person | 0.5668 people per person | 0.743 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7831 people per person | 0.7608 people per person | 0.7916 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8026 people per person | 0.7917 people per person | 0.8086 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8126 people per person | 0.8063 people per person | 0.8168 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8122 people per person | 0.8112 people per person | 0.8134 people per person | 6 |
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 people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Korea was 0.8115 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8168 people per person in 2016.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2891 people per person in 1960.
- How does South Korea rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- South Korea ranks 52nd out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Urban and rural population Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.