Population growth in South Korea
South Korea: Population growth was 0.1% in 2024. β Volatile
Population growth in South Korea, 1970β2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in South Korea stood at 0.1%.
That represents a change of down 4.1% on the previous year and down 88.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in South Korea peaked at 2.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -0.2%, in 2022.
That places South Korea 167th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.0% | -0.2% | 0.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More population data for South Korea
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 599,530 (2100)
- Population density 223.86 (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.45 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 0.748 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 4,241 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 0.748 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 0.748 (2024)
- Natural population growth -0.2109 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 0.72 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in South Korea?
- Population growth in South Korea was 0.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.2% in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for population growth?
- South Korea ranks 167th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 88.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release