Population of cities towns and villages in South Korea
South Korea: Population of cities towns and villages was 5.13 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
5.13 million
World rank
59th
of 229 countries
All-time high
6.03 million
in 1985
All-time low
4.90 million
in 2010
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Population of cities towns and villages in South Korea, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 5.13 million for population of cities towns and villages in 2020.
The figure is up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of cities towns and villages in South Korea peaked at 6.03 million in 1985 and was at its lowest, 4.90 million, in 2010.
That places South Korea 59th out of 229 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Population of cities towns and villages in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.72 million | — |
| 1955 | 5.84 million | +2.2% |
| 1960 | 5.93 million | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 5.89 million | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 5.87 million | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 5.81 million | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 5.92 million | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 6.03 million | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 5.88 million | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 5.56 million | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 5.34 million | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 5.09 million | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 4.90 million | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 4.97 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 5.13 million | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.78 million | 5.72 million | 5.84 million | 2 |
| 1960s | 5.91 million | 5.89 million | 5.93 million | 2 |
| 1970s | 5.84 million | 5.81 million | 5.87 million | 2 |
| 1980s | 5.97 million | 5.92 million | 6.03 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.72 million | 5.56 million | 5.88 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.21 million | 5.09 million | 5.34 million | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.94 million | 4.90 million | 4.97 million | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.13 million | 5.13 million | 5.13 million | 1 |
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)
- Population aged 65 years or older (thousands), annual growth rate 5.2 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of cities towns and villages in South Korea?
- Population of cities towns and villages in South Korea was 5.13 million in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population of cities towns and villages recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.03 million in 1985.
- What is the lowest population of cities towns and villages recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.90 million in 2010.
- How does South Korea rank for population of cities towns and villages?
- South Korea ranks 59th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population of cities towns and villages rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population of cities towns and villages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).