People aged 65 and over in South Korea

People aged 65 and over in South Korea: 2.7% in 1950 and 18.3% in 2023, by UN estimates.

Latest, 2023: 18.3%
Since 1950: +15.6 percentage points
Rank, 2023: 46 of 229; counting from the highest
World, 2023: 10%
Projected, 2100: 45.2%; UN projection (medium variant)

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

Estimates, UNUN projection (medium variant)World

What the numbers say

The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 45.2% in 2100.
The highest was 18.3% in 2023, the lowest 2.7% in 1951.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	South Korea	World
2023	18.3	10
2022	17.5	9.8
2021	16.7	9.5
2020	15.8	9.3
2019	15.1	9.1
2018	14.5	8.9
2017	13.9	8.7
2016	13.4	8.5
2015	13	8.3
2014	12.5	8.1
2013	12.1	7.9
2012	11.7	7.8
2011	11.4	7.7
2010	11	7.6
2009	10.6	7.5
2008	10.3	7.5
2007	9.9	7.4
2006	9.4	7.3
2005	9	7.3
2004	8.6	7.2
2003	8.2	7.1
2002	7.8	7
2001	7.4	6.9
2000	7.1	6.8
1999	6.8	6.8
1998	6.5	6.7
1997	6.2	6.6
1996	6	6.5
1995	5.8	6.5
1994	5.6	6.4
1993	5.4	6.3
1992	5.2	6.2
1991	5	6.1
1990	4.9	6.1
1989	4.8	6
1988	4.6	6
1987	4.5	5.9
1986	4.4	5.9
1985	4.2	5.8
1984	4.1	5.8
1983	4.1	5.8
1982	4	5.8
1981	3.9	5.8
1980	3.8	5.8
1979	3.8	5.8
1978	3.7	5.7
1977	3.7	5.6
1976	3.6	5.6
1975	3.6	5.5
1974	3.6	5.5
1973	3.5	5.4
1972	3.5	5.4
1971	3.4	5.3
1970	3.4	5.3
1969	3.3	5.2
1968	3.3	5.2
1967	3.3	5.2
1966	3.3	5.1
1965	3.3	5.1
1964	3.3	5
1963	3.2	5
1962	3.2	5
1961	3.2	5
1960	3.1	5
1959	3.1	5
1958	3.1	5
1957	3	5
1956	3	5
1955	2.9	5
1954	2.9	5
1953	2.8	5
1952	2.7	5
1951	2.7	5
1950	2.7	5.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	South Korea	World
2024	19.3	10.2
2025	20.3	10.4
2026	21.4	10.6
2027	22.5	10.8
2028	23.4	11.1
2029	24.2	11.5
2030	25.1	11.8
2031	25.9	12
2032	26.8	12.3
2033	27.7	12.6
2034	28.6	12.8
2035	29.6	13.1
2036	30.5	13.4
2037	31.4	13.7
2038	32.3	13.9
2039	33.1	14.1
2040	33.8	14.3
2041	34.4	14.5
2042	35	14.7
2043	35.6	14.9
2044	36.2	15
2045	36.9	15.2
2046	37.6	15.4
2047	38.3	15.7
2048	38.9	15.9
2049	39.3	16.1
2050	39.7	16.3
2051	40	16.6
2052	40.3	16.8
2053	40.6	17.1
2054	40.9	17.3
2055	41.2	17.6
2056	41.6	17.8
2057	42.1	18
2058	42.7	18.2
2059	43.2	18.4
2060	43.7	18.5
2061	44.2	18.7
2062	44.7	18.8
2063	45.1	19
2064	45.5	19.1
2065	45.9	19.3
2066	46.2	19.4
2067	46.4	19.6
2068	46.5	19.7
2069	46.6	19.9
2070	46.7	20
2071	46.7	20.2
2072	46.9	20.3
2073	47	20.5
2074	47.2	20.7
2075	47.4	20.9
2076	47.6	21.1
2077	47.9	21.3
2078	48.1	21.5
2079	48.3	21.7
2080	48.5	21.9
2081	48.7	22.1
2082	48.8	22.3
2083	48.8	22.4
2084	48.7	22.6
2085	48.5	22.7
2086	48.2	22.8
2087	47.9	22.9
2088	47.6	22.9
2089	47.3	23
2090	47	23.1
2091	46.8	23.2
2092	46.5	23.3
2093	46.3	23.3
2094	46.1	23.4
2095	46	23.5
2096	45.8	23.6
2097	45.7	23.7
2098	45.5	23.7
2099	45.4	23.8
2100	45.2	23.9

Good to know

The share of the population aged 65 or older.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

South Korea in numbers

Every measure for South Korea on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflicts0 deaths in 2022

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby

North KoreaNorth Korea · Earthquakes, Statistics