Republic of Korea

Name: Republic of Korea Population Statistics
Creator: Measured World
Published: 2024-07-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/

1950

2025

2100

Republic of Korea

1950

2025

2100

What to know

Population peaked at 51,858,482 in 2020. Now: 51,667,029.

Population is stable to slightly declining (-0.06%/year).

Projected to decline to 21,848,791 by 2100 (-58% from today).

Key statistics for 2025

Total population

51.7M

Density

522 people/km²

Median age

45.6 years

Growth rate

-0.12%

Key terms

Population growth rate: — Annual percentage change in total population size.
Population density: — People per square kilometre of land area.
Median age: — Age at which half the population is younger and half is older.
Sex ratio: — Number of males per 100 females in the population.

The trajectory

Population peaked in 2020

Total population from 1950 to 2100 (projections beyond 2024)

Since the 2020 peak, the population has declined by 0.4%.

Population structure

How is the population split by gender?

Male and female population with sex ratio trend

No population by gender data available.

The sex ratio of 99.5 males per 100 females is close to the global average.

Density & aging

Density

People per square kilometre

Median age

Age where half the population is younger

With 522 people per km², this is a densely populated country. The median age is projected to rise by 12 years by 2050, from 45.0 to 56.7.

Rate of change

How fast is the population changing?

Annual percentage change in population size

Growth peaked at 3.40% in 1957.

The bottom line

Republic of Korea passed its population peak 5 years ago in 2020, and has since declined by 0.4%. The population is aging rapidly—median age will rise from 45 to 57 by 2050. Population density is high at 522 people per km². Looking ahead, UN projections show the population falling to 21.8M by 2100—less than half of today's level.

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Historical estimates (1950–2024) and medium-variant projections (2025–2100).

What to know

Population peaked at 51,858,482 in 2020. Now: 51,667,029.

Population is stable to slightly declining (-0.06%/year).

Projected to decline to 21,848,791 by 2100 (-58% from today).

Key statistics for 2025

Total population

51.7M

Density

522 people/km²

Median age

45.6 years

Growth rate

-0.12%

Key terms

Population growth rate: — Annual percentage change in total population size.
Population density: — People per square kilometre of land area.
Median age: — Age at which half the population is younger and half is older.
Sex ratio: — Number of males per 100 females in the population.

The trajectory

Population peaked in 2020

Total population from 1950 to 2100 (projections beyond 2024)

Since the 2020 peak, the population has declined by 0.4%.

Population structure

How is the population split by gender?

Male and female population with sex ratio trend

No population by gender data available.

The sex ratio of 99.5 males per 100 females is close to the global average.

Density & aging

Density

People per square kilometre

Median age

Age where half the population is younger

With 522 people per km², this is a densely populated country. The median age is projected to rise by 12 years by 2050, from 45.0 to 56.7.

Rate of change

How fast is the population changing?

Annual percentage change in population size

Growth peaked at 3.40% in 1957.

The bottom line

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Historical estimates (1950–2024) and medium-variant projections (2025–2100).

Republic of Korea - Population Statistics | Measured World