Philippines vs South Korea
Philippines vs South Korea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 55.8% in Philippines and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 25.4 percentage points, or 1.46 times that in Philippines.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1964, when it overtook Philippines.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Philippines at 60.4% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Philippines | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55.8 | 81.2 |
| 2024 | 55.5 | 81.2 |
| 2023 | 55.1 | 81.2 |
| 2022 | 54.8 | 81.2 |
| 2021 | 54.5 | 81.2 |
| 2020 | 54.1 | 81.2 |
| 2019 | 53.7 | 81.3 |
| 2018 | 53.2 | 81.4 |
| 2017 | 52.6 | 81.5 |
| 2016 | 51.9 | 81.6 |
| 2015 | 51.2 | 81.6 |
| 2014 | 50.2 | 81.7 |
| 2013 | 49.1 | 81.8 |
| 2012 | 47.9 | 81.9 |
| 2011 | 46.7 | 82 |
| 2010 | 45.5 | 82 |
| 2009 | 44.3 | 81.9 |
| 2008 | 43.2 | 81.8 |
| 2007 | 42.4 | 81.7 |
| 2006 | 41.8 | 81.6 |
| 2005 | 41.3 | 81.4 |
| 2004 | 40.9 | 81.1 |
| 2003 | 40.4 | 80.7 |
| 2002 | 40 | 80.3 |
| 2001 | 39.5 | 79.9 |
| 2000 | 39.1 | 79.6 |
| 1999 | 38.8 | 79.4 |
| 1998 | 38.4 | 79.2 |
| 1997 | 38.1 | 79 |
| 1996 | 37.7 | 78.8 |
| 1995 | 37.4 | 78.4 |
| 1994 | 37.1 | 77.9 |
| 1993 | 36.8 | 77.1 |
| 1992 | 36.5 | 76.2 |
| 1991 | 36.3 | 75.2 |
| 1990 | 36 | 74 |
| 1989 | 35.8 | 72.5 |
| 1988 | 35.5 | 70.6 |
| 1987 | 35.3 | 68.6 |
| 1986 | 35.1 | 66.6 |
| 1985 | 34.9 | 64.8 |
| 1984 | 34.6 | 63.2 |
| 1983 | 34.4 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 34.2 | 60 |
| 1981 | 34 | 58.3 |
| 1980 | 33.9 | 56.7 |
| 1979 | 33.7 | 54.9 |
| 1978 | 33.5 | 53.1 |
| 1977 | 33.3 | 51.3 |
| 1976 | 33.1 | 49.6 |
| 1975 | 32.9 | 48 |
| 1974 | 32.7 | 46.5 |
| 1973 | 32.5 | 45.2 |
| 1972 | 32.3 | 43.8 |
| 1971 | 32.1 | 42.4 |
| 1970 | 31.9 | 40.7 |
| 1969 | 31.7 | 38.7 |
| 1968 | 31.5 | 36.5 |
| 1967 | 31.3 | 34.6 |
| 1966 | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| 1965 | 31 | 32 |
| 1964 | 30.8 | 31 |
| 1963 | 30.7 | 30.1 |
| 1962 | 30.5 | 29.2 |
| 1961 | 30.3 | 28.5 |
| 1960 | 30 | 27.7 |
| 1959 | 29.7 | 27 |
| 1958 | 29.4 | 26.3 |
| 1957 | 29 | 25.7 |
| 1956 | 28.6 | 25.1 |
| 1955 | 28.1 | 24.4 |
| 1954 | 27.6 | 23.6 |
| 1953 | 27.1 | 22.9 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 22.1 |
| 1951 | 25.9 | 21.3 |
| 1950 | 25.2 | 20.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Philippines | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56.1 | 81.2 |
| 2027 | 56.4 | 81.2 |
| 2028 | 56.7 | 81.2 |
| 2029 | 57 | 81.2 |
| 2030 | 57.3 | 81.3 |
| 2031 | 57.5 | 81.3 |
| 2032 | 57.8 | 81.3 |
| 2033 | 58.1 | 81.4 |
| 2034 | 58.3 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 58.5 | 81.4 |
| 2036 | 58.8 | 81.5 |
| 2037 | 59 | 81.6 |
| 2038 | 59.2 | 81.6 |
| 2039 | 59.3 | 81.7 |
| 2040 | 59.5 | 81.8 |
| 2041 | 59.7 | 81.9 |
| 2042 | 59.8 | 82 |
| 2043 | 59.9 | 82.1 |
| 2044 | 60.1 | 82.3 |
| 2045 | 60.2 | 82.4 |
| 2046 | 60.2 | 82.6 |
| 2047 | 60.3 | 82.7 |
| 2048 | 60.4 | 82.9 |
| 2049 | 60.4 | 83.1 |
| 2050 | 60.4 | 83.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Philippines vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyPhilippines: 69.8 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPhilippines: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPhilippines: 20.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPhilippines: 47.9% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionPhilippines: 2.77% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePhilippines: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPhilippines: 115 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPhilippines: 0.84% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePhilippines: 1.92 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Median agePhilippines: 25.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPhilippines: 5.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePhilippines: -1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPhilippines: 1.3% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPhilippines: $6.3B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPhilippines: $55 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPhilippines: 5.4% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPhilippines: 157,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPhilippines: 0.68% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPhilippines: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPhilippines: 846 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPhilippines: 4 million TIV in 2007South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025