Statizoid

Population in South Korea

South Korea: Population was 51.75 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
51.75 million people
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
30th
of 239 countries
All-time high
51.86 million people
in 2020
All-time low
1.60 million people
in 1000
Years of data
241
1000–2023

Population in South Korea, 1000–2023

020.0M40.0M60.0M100015112023

Source: HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 51.75 million people for population in 2023.

The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in South Korea peaked at 51.86 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.60 million people, in 1000.

South Korea ranks 30th of 239 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Population in South Korea, year by year

Year people Change
1000 1.60 million people —
1100 1.92 million people +20.0%
1200 2.56 million people +33.3%
1300 1.92 million people -25.0%
1400 2.24 million people +16.7%
1500 2.56 million people +14.3%
1600 3.20 million people +25.0%
1700 4.00 million people +25.0%
1710 4.40 million people +10.0%
1720 4.71 million people +7.1%
1730 5.05 million people +7.1%
1740 5.41 million people +7.1%
1750 5.80 million people +7.1%
1760 6.21 million people +7.1%
1770 6.65 million people +7.1%
1780 7.13 million people +7.1%
1790 7.64 million people +7.1%
1800 9.39 million people +23.0%
1801 9.39 million people +0.0%
1802 9.39 million people +0.0%
1803 9.39 million people +0.0%
1804 9.39 million people +0.0%
1805 9.39 million people +0.0%
1806 9.39 million people +0.0%
1807 9.39 million people +0.0%
1808 9.39 million people +0.0%
1809 9.39 million people +0.0%
1810 9.39 million people +0.0%
1811 9.39 million people +0.0%
1812 9.39 million people +0.0%
1813 9.39 million people +0.0%
1814 9.39 million people +0.0%
1815 9.39 million people +0.0%
1816 9.39 million people +0.0%
1817 9.39 million people +0.0%
1818 9.39 million people +0.0%
1819 9.40 million people +0.0%
1820 9.40 million people +0.0%
1821 9.40 million people +0.0%
1822 9.40 million people +0.0%
1823 9.41 million people +0.1%
1824 9.41 million people +0.1%
1825 9.42 million people +0.1%
1826 9.42 million people +0.1%
1827 9.43 million people +0.1%
1828 9.43 million people +0.1%
1829 9.44 million people +0.1%
1830 9.44 million people +0.1%
1831 9.45 million people +0.1%
1832 9.45 million people +0.1%
1833 9.46 million people +0.1%
1834 9.46 million people +0.1%
1835 9.47 million people +0.1%
1836 9.47 million people +0.1%
1837 9.48 million people +0.1%
1838 9.48 million people +0.1%
1839 9.49 million people +0.1%
1840 9.49 million people +0.1%
1841 9.50 million people +0.1%
1842 9.50 million people +0.1%
1843 9.51 million people +0.1%
1844 9.51 million people +0.1%
1845 9.52 million people +0.1%
1846 9.52 million people +0.1%
1847 9.53 million people +0.1%
1848 9.53 million people +0.1%
1849 9.54 million people +0.1%
1850 9.55 million people +0.1%
1851 9.55 million people +0.0%
1852 9.56 million people +0.1%
1853 9.56 million people +0.1%
1854 9.57 million people +0.1%
1855 9.58 million people +0.1%
1856 9.58 million people +0.1%
1857 9.59 million people +0.1%
1858 9.59 million people +0.1%
1859 9.60 million people +0.1%
1860 9.61 million people +0.1%
1861 9.61 million people +0.1%
1862 9.62 million people +0.1%
1863 9.62 million people +0.1%
1864 9.63 million people +0.1%
1865 9.64 million people +0.1%
1866 9.64 million people +0.1%
1867 9.65 million people +0.1%
1868 9.66 million people +0.1%
1869 9.66 million people +0.1%
1870 9.66 million people +0.0%
1871 9.67 million people +0.0%
1872 9.67 million people +0.0%
1873 9.67 million people +0.0%
1874 9.67 million people +0.0%
1875 9.67 million people +0.0%
1876 9.67 million people +0.0%
1877 9.67 million people +0.0%
1878 9.67 million people +0.0%
1879 9.67 million people +0.0%
1880 9.67 million people +0.0%
1881 9.67 million people +0.0%
1882 9.67 million people +0.0%
1883 9.67 million people +0.0%
1884 9.67 million people +0.0%
1885 9.67 million people +0.0%
1886 9.67 million people +0.0%
1887 9.67 million people +0.0%
1888 9.67 million people +0.0%
1889 9.67 million people +0.0%
1890 9.68 million people +0.0%
1891 9.68 million people +0.0%
1892 9.68 million people +0.0%
1893 9.68 million people +0.0%
1894 9.68 million people +0.0%
1895 9.68 million people +0.0%
1896 9.68 million people +0.0%
1897 9.68 million people +0.0%
1898 9.68 million people +0.0%
1899 9.68 million people +0.0%
1900 9.69 million people +0.1%
1901 9.70 million people +0.1%
1902 9.71 million people +0.1%
1903 9.72 million people +0.2%
1904 9.74 million people +0.2%
1905 9.75 million people +0.2%
1906 9.77 million people +0.2%
1907 9.78 million people +0.2%
1908 9.80 million people +0.2%
1909 9.84 million people +0.4%
1910 9.91 million people +0.7%
1911 10.01 million people +1.0%
1912 10.14 million people +1.3%
1913 10.29 million people +1.5%
1914 10.45 million people +1.5%
1915 10.61 million people +1.5%
1916 10.77 million people +1.5%
1917 10.93 million people +1.5%
1918 11.11 million people +1.6%
1919 11.28 million people +1.6%
1920 11.46 million people +1.6%
1921 11.65 million people +1.6%
1922 11.84 million people +1.6%
1923 12.04 million people +1.6%
1924 12.23 million people +1.6%
1925 12.44 million people +1.6%
1926 12.64 million people +1.6%
1927 12.85 million people +1.6%
1928 13.06 million people +1.6%
1929 13.26 million people +1.6%
1930 13.46 million people +1.5%
1931 13.64 million people +1.4%
1932 13.81 million people +1.3%
1933 13.98 million people +1.2%
1934 14.14 million people +1.2%
1935 14.31 million people +1.2%
1936 14.48 million people +1.2%
1937 14.65 million people +1.2%
1938 14.82 million people +1.2%
1939 15.05 million people +1.5%
1940 15.33 million people +1.9%
1941 15.67 million people +2.2%
1942 16.08 million people +2.6%
1943 16.55 million people +2.9%
1944 17.03 million people +2.9%
1945 17.53 million people +2.9%
1946 18.04 million people +2.9%
1947 18.57 million people +2.9%
1948 19.12 million people +2.9%
1949 19.63 million people +2.7%
1950 19.76 million people +0.7%
1951 19.87 million people +0.6%
1952 20.23 million people +1.8%
1953 20.78 million people +2.7%
1954 21.42 million people +3.1%
1955 22.13 million people +3.3%
1956 22.87 million people +3.4%
1957 23.66 million people +3.4%
1958 24.47 million people +3.4%
1959 25.30 million people +3.4%
1960 26.12 million people +3.2%
1961 26.85 million people +2.8%
1962 27.51 million people +2.4%
1963 28.15 million people +2.3%
1964 28.75 million people +2.1%
1965 29.28 million people +1.9%
1966 29.85 million people +1.9%
1967 30.50 million people +2.2%
1968 31.18 million people +2.2%
1969 31.85 million people +2.2%
1970 32.54 million people +2.2%
1971 33.24 million people +2.1%
1972 33.94 million people +2.1%
1973 34.63 million people +2.0%
1974 35.29 million people +1.9%
1975 35.88 million people +1.7%
1976 36.38 million people +1.4%
1977 36.84 million people +1.3%
1978 37.28 million people +1.2%
1979 37.71 million people +1.2%
1980 38.14 million people +1.1%
1981 38.69 million people +1.4%
1982 39.36 million people +1.7%
1983 40.00 million people +1.6%
1984 40.60 million people +1.5%
1985 41.15 million people +1.4%
1986 41.72 million people +1.4%
1987 42.32 million people +1.4%
1988 42.92 million people +1.4%
1989 43.52 million people +1.4%
1990 44.08 million people +1.3%
1991 44.44 million people +0.8%
1992 44.65 million people +0.5%
1993 44.89 million people +0.5%
1994 45.13 million people +0.5%
1995 45.37 million people +0.5%
1996 45.64 million people +0.6%
1997 45.94 million people +0.7%
1998 46.23 million people +0.6%
1999 46.50 million people +0.6%
2000 46.77 million people +0.6%
2001 47.04 million people +0.6%
2002 47.30 million people +0.5%
2003 47.51 million people +0.5%
2004 47.70 million people +0.4%
2005 47.85 million people +0.3%
2006 48.01 million people +0.3%
2007 48.18 million people +0.4%
2008 48.36 million people +0.4%
2009 48.55 million people +0.4%
2010 48.77 million people +0.5%
2011 49.13 million people +0.7%
2012 49.60 million people +1.0%
2013 50.07 million people +1.0%
2014 50.54 million people +0.9%
2015 50.98 million people +0.9%
2016 51.30 million people +0.6%
2017 51.49 million people +0.4%
2018 51.64 million people +0.3%
2019 51.77 million people +0.2%
2020 51.86 million people +0.2%
2021 51.85 million people -0.0%
2022 51.78 million people -0.1%
2023 51.75 million people -0.1%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 51.75 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.98 million people, 17.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 51.75 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.38 million people, 37.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Population in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1200 +33.3% 1.92 million people 2.56 million people
1300 -25.0% 2.56 million people 1.92 million people
1600 +25.0% 2.56 million people 3.20 million people
1700 +25.0% 3.20 million people 4.00 million people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 1.60 million people 1.60 million people 1.60 million people 1
1100s 1.92 million people 1.92 million people 1.92 million people 1
1200s 2.56 million people 2.56 million people 2.56 million people 1
1300s 1.92 million people 1.92 million people 1.92 million people 1
1400s 2.24 million people 2.24 million people 2.24 million people 1
1500s 2.56 million people 2.56 million people 2.56 million people 1
1600s 3.20 million people 3.20 million people 3.20 million people 1
1700s 4.00 million people 4.00 million people 4.00 million people 1
1710s 4.40 million people 4.40 million people 4.40 million people 1
1720s 4.71 million people 4.71 million people 4.71 million people 1
1730s 5.05 million people 5.05 million people 5.05 million people 1
1740s 5.41 million people 5.41 million people 5.41 million people 1
1750s 5.80 million people 5.80 million people 5.80 million people 1
1760s 6.21 million people 6.21 million people 6.21 million people 1
1770s 6.65 million people 6.65 million people 6.65 million people 1
1780s 7.13 million people 7.13 million people 7.13 million people 1
1790s 7.64 million people 7.64 million people 7.64 million people 1
1800s 9.39 million people 9.39 million people 9.39 million people 10
1810s 9.40 million people 9.39 million people 9.40 million people 10
1820s 9.42 million people 9.40 million people 9.44 million people 10
1830s 9.47 million people 9.44 million people 9.49 million people 10
1840s 9.52 million people 9.49 million people 9.54 million people 10
1850s 9.57 million people 9.55 million people 9.60 million people 10
1860s 9.63 million people 9.61 million people 9.66 million people 10
1870s 9.67 million people 9.66 million people 9.67 million people 10
1880s 9.67 million people 9.67 million people 9.67 million people 10
1890s 9.68 million people 9.68 million people 9.68 million people 10
1900s 9.75 million people 9.69 million people 9.84 million people 10
1910s 10.55 million people 9.91 million people 11.28 million people 10
1920s 12.35 million people 11.46 million people 13.26 million people 10
1930s 14.23 million people 13.46 million people 15.05 million people 10
1940s 17.36 million people 15.33 million people 19.63 million people 10
1950s 22.05 million people 19.76 million people 25.30 million people 10
1960s 29.00 million people 26.12 million people 31.85 million people 10
1970s 35.37 million people 32.54 million people 37.71 million people 10
1980s 40.84 million people 38.14 million people 43.52 million people 10
1990s 45.29 million people 44.08 million people 46.50 million people 10
2000s 47.73 million people 46.77 million people 48.55 million people 10
2010s 50.53 million people 48.77 million people 51.77 million people 10
2020s 51.81 million people 51.75 million people 51.86 million people 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 27 Kenya 55.34 million people compare
  2. 28 Myanmar 54.13 million people compare
  3. 29 Colombia 52.32 million people compare
  4. 31 Sudan 50.04 million people compare
  5. 32 Uganda 48.66 million people compare
  6. 33 Spain 47.91 million people compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More population data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in South Korea?
Population in South Korea was 51.75 million people in 2023, according to HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 51.86 million people in 2020.
What is the lowest population recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 1.60 million people in 1000.
How does South Korea rank for population?
South Korea ranks 30th out of 239 countries with data for 2023.
Is population rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-marimekko/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Population
Unit
people
Source
HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
239 places, 51,002 data points, 1000–2023
Last refreshed

Population by country, available from 10,000 BCE to 2023, based on data and estimates from different sources.