South Korea vs United States
South Korea vs United States: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 81.2% in South Korea and 80.2% in United States, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in United States.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1992, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, South Korea ranked 59 and United States ranked 62 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts South Korea at 83.3% and United States at 86.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 81.2 | 80.2 |
| 2024 | 81.2 | 80.1 |
| 2023 | 81.2 | 80.1 |
| 2022 | 81.2 | 80 |
| 2021 | 81.2 | 80 |
| 2020 | 81.2 | 80 |
| 2019 | 81.3 | 80.1 |
| 2018 | 81.4 | 80.3 |
| 2017 | 81.5 | 80.4 |
| 2016 | 81.6 | 80.5 |
| 2015 | 81.6 | 80.6 |
| 2014 | 81.7 | 80.6 |
| 2013 | 81.8 | 80.7 |
| 2012 | 81.9 | 80.7 |
| 2011 | 82 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 82 | 80.7 |
| 2009 | 81.9 | 80.7 |
| 2008 | 81.8 | 80.6 |
| 2007 | 81.7 | 80.5 |
| 2006 | 81.6 | 80.4 |
| 2005 | 81.4 | 80.2 |
| 2004 | 81.1 | 80 |
| 2003 | 80.7 | 79.8 |
| 2002 | 80.3 | 79.6 |
| 2001 | 79.9 | 79.3 |
| 2000 | 79.6 | 79.1 |
| 1999 | 79.4 | 78.8 |
| 1998 | 79.2 | 78.5 |
| 1997 | 79 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 78.8 | 77.7 |
| 1995 | 78.4 | 77.2 |
| 1994 | 77.9 | 76.7 |
| 1993 | 77.1 | 76.3 |
| 1992 | 76.2 | 75.9 |
| 1991 | 75.2 | 75.5 |
| 1990 | 74 | 75.3 |
| 1989 | 72.5 | 75.1 |
| 1988 | 70.6 | 74.9 |
| 1987 | 68.6 | 74.7 |
| 1986 | 66.6 | 74.5 |
| 1985 | 64.8 | 74.3 |
| 1984 | 63.2 | 74.2 |
| 1983 | 61.5 | 74 |
| 1982 | 60 | 73.9 |
| 1981 | 58.3 | 73.8 |
| 1980 | 56.7 | 73.8 |
| 1979 | 54.9 | 73.7 |
| 1978 | 53.1 | 73.7 |
| 1977 | 51.3 | 73.7 |
| 1976 | 49.6 | 73.6 |
| 1975 | 48 | 73.6 |
| 1974 | 46.5 | 73.6 |
| 1973 | 45.2 | 73.6 |
| 1972 | 43.8 | 73.6 |
| 1971 | 42.4 | 73.5 |
| 1970 | 40.7 | 73.5 |
| 1969 | 38.7 | 73.4 |
| 1968 | 36.5 | 73.3 |
| 1967 | 34.6 | 73 |
| 1966 | 33.1 | 72.7 |
| 1965 | 32 | 72.3 |
| 1964 | 31 | 71.9 |
| 1963 | 30.1 | 71.4 |
| 1962 | 29.2 | 70.9 |
| 1961 | 28.5 | 70.5 |
| 1960 | 27.7 | 70 |
| 1959 | 27 | 69.5 |
| 1958 | 26.3 | 69 |
| 1957 | 25.7 | 68.5 |
| 1956 | 25.1 | 67.9 |
| 1955 | 24.4 | 67.3 |
| 1954 | 23.6 | 66.6 |
| 1953 | 22.9 | 66 |
| 1952 | 22.1 | 65.3 |
| 1951 | 21.3 | 64.7 |
| 1950 | 20.6 | 64 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | South Korea | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 81.2 | 80.3 |
| 2027 | 81.2 | 80.4 |
| 2028 | 81.2 | 80.5 |
| 2029 | 81.2 | 80.6 |
| 2030 | 81.3 | 80.7 |
| 2031 | 81.3 | 80.9 |
| 2032 | 81.3 | 81.1 |
| 2033 | 81.4 | 81.2 |
| 2034 | 81.4 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 81.4 | 81.7 |
| 2036 | 81.5 | 81.9 |
| 2037 | 81.6 | 82.1 |
| 2038 | 81.6 | 82.4 |
| 2039 | 81.7 | 82.6 |
| 2040 | 81.8 | 82.9 |
| 2041 | 81.9 | 83.2 |
| 2042 | 82 | 83.5 |
| 2043 | 82.1 | 83.8 |
| 2044 | 82.3 | 84.2 |
| 2045 | 82.4 | 84.5 |
| 2046 | 82.6 | 84.9 |
| 2047 | 82.7 | 85.3 |
| 2048 | 82.9 | 85.7 |
| 2049 | 83.1 | 86.1 |
| 2050 | 83.3 | 86.5 |
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
South Korea vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Korea: 84.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSouth Korea: 99.3% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSouth Korea: 3.17% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSouth Korea: 44.5 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Korea: 18.3% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Korea: $37,470 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Korea: $48.9B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Korea: $924 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Korea: 569,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025