Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in South Korea
South Korea: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 5,076 thousands in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
5,076 thousands
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
53rd
of 233 countries
All-time high
9,095 thousands
in 1990
All-time low
5,076 thousands
in 2025
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 15-24 years in South Korea, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 15-24 years in South Korea stood at 5,076 thousands. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 24.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in South Korea peaked at 9,095 thousands in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5,076 thousands, in 2025.
That places South Korea 53rd out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5,751 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 6,086 thousands | +5.8% |
| 1972 | 6,359 thousands | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 6,595 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 6,895 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1975 | 7,216 thousands | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 7,587 thousands | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 7,950 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1978 | 8,185 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 8,437 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 8,538 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 8,576 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 8,683 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 8,713 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 8,736 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 8,787 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 8,848 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 8,950 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 9,008 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 9,036 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 9,095 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 9,092 thousands | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 8,965 thousands | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 8,822 thousands | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 8,631 thousands | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 8,489 thousands | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 8,395 thousands | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 8,302 thousands | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 8,182 thousands | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 8,042 thousands | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 7,880 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 7,739 thousands | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 7,603 thousands | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 7,451 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 7,299 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 7,120 thousands | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 6,942 thousands | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 6,785 thousands | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 6,702 thousands | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 6,667 thousands | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 6,667 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 6,693 thousands | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 6,744 thousands | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 6,788 thousands | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 6,798 thousands | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 6,763 thousands | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 6,716 thousands | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 6,634 thousands | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 6,451 thousands | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 6,251 thousands | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 6,031 thousands | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 5,807 thousands | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 5,529 thousands | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 5,363 thousands | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 5,206 thousands | -2.9% |
| 2025 | 5,076 thousands | -2.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5,076 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 295.36 thousands, 17.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5,076 thousands is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 305.44 thousands, 16.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7,106 thousands | 5,751 thousands | 8,437 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 8,788 thousands | 8,538 thousands | 9,036 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 8,601 thousands | 8,042 thousands | 9,095 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,219 thousands | 6,667 thousands | 7,880 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,650 thousands | 6,251 thousands | 6,798 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,502 thousands | 5,076 thousands | 6,031 thousands | 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)
- 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 population aged 15-24 years in South Korea?
- Population aged 15-24 years in South Korea was 5,076 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 9,095 thousands in 1990.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,076 thousands in 2025.
- How does South Korea rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- South Korea ranks 53rd out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release