Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Share of the population living in cities was 75.43 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
75.43
World rank
14th
of 229 countries
All-time high
75.43
in 2020
All-time low
33.47
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 33.51955: 37.51960: 421965: 48.41970: 56.71975: 64.11980: 66.31985: 68.71990: 71.61995: 72.82000: 73.92005: 74.92010: 75.22015: 75.22020: 75.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 75.43 for share of the population living in cities in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea peaked at 75.43 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 33.47, in 1950.

Republic of Korea ranks 14th of 229 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 33.47
1955 37.47 +11.9%
1960 41.96 +12.0%
1965 48.44 +15.4%
1970 56.67 +17.0%
1975 64.11 +13.1%
1980 66.34 +3.5%
1985 68.67 +3.5%
1990 71.61 +4.3%
1995 72.79 +1.6%
2000 73.88 +1.5%
2005 74.9 +1.4%
2010 75.22 +0.4%
2015 75.16 -0.1%
2020 75.43 +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 35.47 33.47 37.47 2
1960s 45.2 41.96 48.44 2
1970s 60.39 56.67 64.11 2
1980s 67.5 66.34 68.67 2
1990s 72.2 71.61 72.79 2
2000s 74.39 73.88 74.9 2
2010s 75.19 75.16 75.22 2
2020s 75.43 75.43 75.43 1

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 11 Djibouti 80.89 compare
  2. 12 Qatar 78.96 compare
  3. 13 Taiwan, China 77.9 compare
  4. 15 United Arab Emirates 73.33 compare
  5. 16 Jordan 73.07 compare
  6. 17 Palestine, State of 70.98 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea?
Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea was 75.43 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 75.43 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 33.47 in 1950.
How does Republic of Korea rank for share of the population living in cities?
Republic of Korea ranks 14th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed