Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea
South Korea: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 430.34 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
430.34 people per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
17th
of 215 countries
All-time high
431.32 people per square kilometre
in 2020
All-time low
79.2 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea is 430.34 people per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea peaked at 431.32 people per square kilometre in 2020 and was at its lowest, 79.2 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places South Korea 17th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 79.2 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 83.37 people per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1963 | 87.7 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1964 | 92.25 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1965 | 97.04 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1966 | 102.43 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1967 | 109.26 people per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 118.07 people per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1969 | 127.83 people per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1970 | 137.34 people per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1971 | 145.93 people per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 1972 | 154.06 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 162.06 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1974 | 170.15 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1975 | 178.4 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1976 | 186.97 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 195.96 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1978 | 205.22 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1979 | 214.63 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1980 | 224.02 people per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 233.97 people per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 244.6 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 255.22 people per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 265.79 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 276.41 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 287.94 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 300.82 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 314.1 people per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 326.98 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 338.11 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 346.26 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 352.73 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 358.82 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 364.28 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 368.74 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 372.6 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 376.22 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 379.5 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 382.58 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 385.83 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 388.44 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 392.29 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 396.15 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 399.55 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 402.13 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 404.18 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 406.18 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 408.01 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 409.76 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 411.27 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 414.3 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 417.5 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 420.54 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 423.96 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 427.14 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 429.14 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 430.18 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 430.95 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 431.17 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 431.32 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 431.16 people per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 430.62 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 430.34 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 430.34 people per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 5.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 430.34 people per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 people per square kilometre, 5.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 99.68 people per square kilometre | 79.2 people per square kilometre | 127.83 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 175.07 people per square kilometre | 137.34 people per square kilometre | 214.63 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 272.99 people per square kilometre | 224.02 people per square kilometre | 326.98 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 363.98 people per square kilometre | 338.11 people per square kilometre | 382.58 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 399.25 people per square kilometre | 385.83 people per square kilometre | 409.76 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 423.61 people per square kilometre | 411.27 people per square kilometre | 431.17 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 430.86 people per square kilometre | 430.34 people per square kilometre | 431.32 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 14 San Marino 546.09 people per square kilometre compare
- 15 Netherlands 512.21 people per square kilometre compare
- 16 Lebanon 510.49 people per square kilometre compare
- 18 Bangladesh 424.22 people per square kilometre compare
- 19 Israel 391.42 people per square kilometre compare
- 20 Barbados 390.17 people per square kilometre compare
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)
- World population growth -1.4% (2100)
- Population density 223.86 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 599,530 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.4% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.0908 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in South Korea was 430.34 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 431.32 people per square kilometre in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.2 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Korea rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- South Korea ranks 17th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. 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 square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), 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 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.