Share of population living in rural areas in South Korea
South Korea: Share of population living in rural areas was 9.89 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
9.89
World rank
205th
of 236 countries
All-time high
28.93
in 1950
All-time low
9.76
in 2015
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of population living in rural areas in South Korea, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in South Korea stood at 9.89.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in South Korea peaked at 28.93 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 9.76, in 2015.
South Korea ranks 205th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 28.93 | — |
| 1955 | 26.4 | -8.7% |
| 1960 | 22.69 | -14.0% |
| 1965 | 20.1 | -11.4% |
| 1970 | 18.03 | -10.3% |
| 1975 | 16.21 | -10.1% |
| 1980 | 15.52 | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 14.66 | -5.6% |
| 1990 | 13.34 | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 12.26 | -8.1% |
| 2000 | 11.41 | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 10.64 | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 10.05 | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 9.76 | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 9.89 | +1.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 9.89 is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.76, 42% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 9.89 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.5, 34% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 27.66 | 26.4 | 28.93 | 2 |
| 1960s | 21.4 | 20.1 | 22.69 | 2 |
| 1970s | 17.12 | 16.21 | 18.03 | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.09 | 14.66 | 15.52 | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.8 | 12.26 | 13.34 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.03 | 10.64 | 11.41 | 2 |
| 2010s | 9.9 | 9.76 | 10.05 | 2 |
| 2020s | 9.89 | 9.89 | 9.89 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 202 Lebanon 10.38 compare
- 203 Saint Martin (French Part) 10.28 compare
- 204 Djibouti 10.11 compare
- 206 Western Sahara 9.88 compare
- 207 United Arab Emirates 9.75 compare
- 208 Jersey 9.24 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)
- 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)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0.007 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in South Korea?
- Share of population living in rural areas in South Korea was 9.89 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.93 in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.76 in 2015.
- How does South Korea rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- South Korea ranks 205th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. 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 Share of population living in rural areas. 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).