South Korea: Population Demographics

Population, Mid-Year 2019: 51,225,000
Population Density (Population Per Square Kilometer), Mid-Year 2019: 527
Projected Population Mid-Year 2030: 51,152,000
Percentage of Population Under Age 25 Years, Mid-Year 2019: 24%
Percentage of Population 65 Years Or Over, Mid-Year 2019: 15%

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects 2019: Data Booklet (ST/ESA/SER.A/424).

Annual Population Growth Rate 2000-2018: 0.4%
Projected Annual Population Growth Rate 2018-2030: 0.0%
Proportion of Urban Population, 2018: 81%
Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population 2000-2018: 0.6%
Projected Annual Growth Rate of Urban Population 2018-2030: 0.1%

Source: UNICEF (2019). The State of the World’s Children 2019. Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing well in a changing world. UNICEF, New York.
https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-of-worlds-children-2019
https://www.unicef.org/media/60806/file/SOWC-2019.pdf

“The total population of the Republic of Korea was 49.8 million in 2011 and reached 50 million in June 2012. The female share of the total population was 50.3% in 2011, compared to 49.9% in 1980 (Table 1.1).

“The total fertility rate (TFR) is generally very low compared to other countries. TFR was lowest at 1.08 in 2005, rebounding slightly recently to 1.24 in 2011. Due to the low TFR, the proportion of children (population aged 0–14) has declined, from 33.9% in 1980 to 15.7% in 2011.

“The number of the elderly in the Republic of Korea started to grow in 2000 when the proportion of the population aged over 65 years reached 7.2%; this is expected to reach 14% in 2017, making it officially an aged society. The transition from an ageing society to an aged society has been faster than in any other country. The share of the elderly was 11.4% in 2011, which was below the average of OECD countries. However, the pace of ageing is very fast, and is expected to make the Republic of Korea the second-most aged country after Japan by 2050.”

Source: World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Western Pacific. (‎2015)‎. Republic of Korea health system review. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/208215

“The age dependency ratio was 37.3 in 2011, in other words 100 people of working age had to support 37.3 dependents (children or the elderly). The age dependency ratio has continued to fall until 2011. However, as the baby-boomers join the aged group and as a smaller number of children reach working age, the age dependency ratio is expected to increase steeply. On the other hand, the share of the working age population is expected to decrease once it reaches a peak of 37 million in 2016.

“Along with rapid economic growth, urbanization has also advanced significantly. The share of urban population reached 83% in 2011, compared to 57% in 1980. The proportion of single-person households has been growing and in 2011, it reached around a quarter of all households. This can be attributed in part to the ageing population. In 2011 for example, 25.8% of single-person households were an elderly person living alone (KOSIS 2013). Another factor is the increase in single working women.”

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Page last updated Dec. 4, 2020 by Doug McVay, Editor.