Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea
South Korea: Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre was 99.87 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
99.87 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
31st
of 215 countries
All-time high
206.99 units per square kilometre
in 1966
All-time low
90.41 units per square kilometre
in 2009
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 99.87 units per square kilometre for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea peaked at 206.99 units per square kilometre in 1966 and was at its lowest, 90.41 units per square kilometre, in 2009.
South Korea ranks 31st of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 199.19 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 201.82 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 204.08 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 205.75 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 206.55 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 206.99 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 206.89 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 205.12 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 202.39 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 200.03 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 198.67 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 197.76 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 196.9 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 195.68 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 193.52 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 190.18 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 186 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 181.29 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 176.32 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 171.39 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 167.12 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 163.4 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 159.47 units per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 155.1 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 150.18 units per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 144.55 units per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 137.93 units per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1988 | 130.88 units per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 1989 | 124.24 units per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 118.89 units per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 114.44 units per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 110.19 units per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 106.53 units per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 103.59 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 101.59 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 100.54 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 100.06 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 99.78 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 99.49 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 99 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 97.85 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 96.38 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 94.7 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 93.09 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 91.95 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 91.34 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 90.91 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 90.57 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 90.41 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 90.47 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 91.18 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 92.21 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 93.4 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 94.76 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 96.06 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 97.05 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 97.83 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 98.59 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 99.24 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 100.02 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 100.08 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 99.94 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 99.87 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 99.87 units per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.08 units per square kilometre, 5.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 99.87 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.01 units per square kilometre, 3.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 204.31 units per square kilometre | 199.19 units per square kilometre | 206.99 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 191.64 units per square kilometre | 176.32 units per square kilometre | 200.03 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 150.43 units per square kilometre | 124.24 units per square kilometre | 171.39 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 105.51 units per square kilometre | 99.49 units per square kilometre | 118.89 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.62 units per square kilometre | 90.41 units per square kilometre | 99 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.08 units per square kilometre | 90.47 units per square kilometre | 99.24 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.98 units per square kilometre | 99.87 units per square kilometre | 100.08 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 28 British Virgin Islands 115.29 units per square kilometre compare
- 29 Tonga 114.55 units per square kilometre compare
- 30 Jamaica 108.95 units per square kilometre compare
- 32 Togo 97.08 units per square kilometre compare
- 33 Gambia 96.5 units per square kilometre compare
- 34 Nigeria 94.64 units per square kilometre 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)
- World population growth -1.4% (2100)
- Population density 223.86 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 599,530 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.4% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.0908 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea?
- Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in South Korea was 99.87 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 206.99 units per square kilometre in 1966.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 90.41 units per square kilometre in 2009.
- How does South Korea rank for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre?
- South Korea ranks 31st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban and rural population 2050 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban and rural population projected to 2050 HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.