South Korea

Population in South Korea

Population in South Korea: 19.8 million people in 1950 and 51.8 million people in 2023, by UN estimates.

Latest, 2023
51.8 million people
Since 1950
+32 million people
Rank, 2023
29 of 229
counting from the highest
World, 2023
8.09 billion people
Projected, 2100
21.9 million people
UN projection (medium variant)
Watch it change on the map

people · UN

Population in South KoreaPopulation in South Korea: 19.8 million people in 1950 and 51.8 million people in 2023, by UN estimates. The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 21.9 million people in 2100, between 9.29 million people and 52 million people (95% prediction interval).
Estimates, UNEstimates, HYDE and GapminderUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

  • The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 21.9 million people in 2100, between 9.29 million people and 52 million people (95% prediction interval).
  • The highest was 51.9 million people in 2020, the lowest 19.8 million people in 1950.
  • Older estimates from HYDE and Gapminder reach back to 1800: 9.4 million people.

Every year

people · UN

YearSouth KoreaWorld
202351.8 million8.09 billion
202251.8 million8.02 billion
202151.9 million7.95 billion
202051.9 million7.89 billion
201951.8 million7.81 billion
201851.6 million7.73 billion
201751.5 million7.65 billion
201651.3 million7.56 billion
201551 million7.47 billion
201450.5 million7.38 billion
201350.1 million7.29 billion
201249.6 million7.2 billion
201149.1 million7.11 billion
201048.8 million7.02 billion
200948.6 million6.93 billion
200848.4 million6.84 billion
200748.2 million6.76 billion
200648 million6.67 billion
200547.9 million6.59 billion
200447.7 million6.5 billion
200347.5 million6.42 billion
200247.3 million6.34 billion
200147 million6.26 billion
200046.8 million6.17 billion
199946.5 million6.09 billion
199846.2 million6.01 billion
199745.9 million5.93 billion
199645.6 million5.84 billion
199545.4 million5.76 billion
199445.1 million5.68 billion
199344.9 million5.59 billion
199244.7 million5.51 billion
199144.4 million5.42 billion
199044.1 million5.33 billion
198943.5 million5.23 billion
198842.9 million5.14 billion
198742.3 million5.05 billion
198641.7 million4.96 billion
198541.2 million4.87 billion
198440.6 million4.78 billion
198340 million4.7 billion
198239.4 million4.61 billion
198138.7 million4.53 billion
198038.1 million4.45 billion
197937.7 million4.37 billion
197837.3 million4.29 billion
197736.8 million4.22 billion
197636.4 million4.14 billion
197535.9 million4.07 billion
197435.3 million4 billion
197334.6 million3.92 billion
197233.9 million3.85 billion
197133.2 million3.77 billion
197032.5 million3.7 billion
196931.9 million3.62 billion
196831.2 million3.55 billion
196730.5 million3.47 billion
196629.9 million3.4 billion
196529.3 million3.34 billion
196428.7 million3.26 billion
196328.2 million3.19 billion
196227.5 million3.12 billion
196126.9 million3.07 billion
196026.1 million3.02 billion
195925.3 million2.97 billion
195824.5 million2.91 billion
195723.7 million2.85 billion
195622.9 million2.8 billion
195522.1 million2.74 billion
195421.4 million2.69 billion
195320.8 million2.63 billion
195220.2 million2.58 billion
195119.9 million2.54 billion
195019.8 million2.49 billion
194919.6 million–
194819.1 million–
194718.6 million–
194618 million–
194517.5 million–
194417 million–
194316.6 million–
194216.1 million–
194115.7 million–
194015.3 million–
193915.1 million–
193814.8 million–
193714.7 million–
193614.5 million–
193514.3 million–
193414.1 million–
193314 million–
193213.8 million–
193113.6 million–
193013.5 million–
192913.3 million–
192813.1 million–
192712.9 million–
192612.6 million–
192512.4 million–
192412.2 million–
192312 million–
192211.8 million–
192111.7 million–
192011.5 million–
191911.3 million–
191811.1 million–
191710.9 million–
191610.8 million–
191510.6 million–
191410.5 million–
191310.3 million–
191210.1 million–
191110 million–
19109.91 million–
19099.84 million–
19089.8 million–
19079.78 million–
19069.77 million–
19059.75 million–
19049.74 million–
19039.72 million–
19029.71 million–
19019.7 million–
19009.69 million–
18999.68 million–
18989.68 million–
18979.68 million–
18969.68 million–
18959.68 million–
18949.68 million–
18939.68 million–
18929.68 million–
18919.68 million–
18909.68 million–
18899.68 million–
18889.67 million–
18879.67 million–
18869.67 million–
18859.67 million–
18849.67 million–
18839.67 million–
18829.67 million–
18819.67 million–
18809.67 million–
18799.67 million–
18789.67 million–
18779.67 million–
18769.67 million–
18759.67 million–
18749.67 million–
18739.67 million–
18729.67 million–
18719.67 million–
18709.66 million–
18699.66 million–
18689.66 million–
18679.65 million–
18669.64 million–
18659.64 million–
18649.63 million–
18639.62 million–
18629.62 million–
18619.61 million–
18609.61 million–
18599.6 million–
18589.59 million–
18579.59 million–
18569.58 million–
18559.58 million–
18549.57 million–
18539.56 million–
18529.56 million–
18519.55 million–
18509.55 million–
18499.54 million–
18489.54 million–
18479.53 million–
18469.53 million–
18459.52 million–
18449.52 million–
18439.51 million–
18429.51 million–
18419.5 million–
18409.5 million–
18399.49 million–
18389.49 million–
18379.48 million–
18369.48 million–
18359.47 million–
18349.47 million–
18339.46 million–
18329.46 million–
18319.45 million–
18309.45 million–
18299.44 million–
18289.44 million–
18279.43 million–
18269.43 million–
18259.42 million–
18249.42 million–
18239.41 million–
18229.41 million–
18219.4 million–
18209.4 million–
18199.4 million–
18189.4 million–
18179.4 million–
18169.4 million–
18159.4 million–
18149.4 million–
18139.4 million–
18129.4 million–
18119.4 million–
18109.4 million–
18099.4 million–
18089.4 million–
18079.4 million–
18069.4 million–
18059.4 million–
18049.4 million–
18039.4 million–
18029.4 million–
18019.4 million–
18009.4 million–
  • 12.3Estimates, HYDE and Gapminder
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
YearSouth KoreaWorld
202451.7 million51.6 million–51.8 million8.16 billion
202551.7 million51.4 million–51.9 million8.23 billion
202651.6 million51.1 million–52.1 million8.3 billion
202751.5 million50.8 million–52.3 million8.37 billion
202851.4 million50.4 million–52.5 million8.44 billion
202951.3 million50 million–52.7 million8.5 billion
203051.2 million49.6 million–52.9 million8.57 billion
203151.1 million49.1 million–53.1 million8.63 billion
203250.9 million48.6 million–53.3 million8.7 billion
203350.7 million48.1 million–53.4 million8.76 billion
203450.5 million47.6 million–53.6 million8.82 billion
203550.3 million47.1 million–53.8 million8.89 billion
203650.1 million46.6 million–54 million8.95 billion
203749.8 million46 million–54.2 million9.01 billion
203849.5 million45.4 million–54.2 million9.06 billion
203949.3 million44.7 million–54.4 million9.12 billion
204049 million44.2 million–54.6 million9.18 billion
204148.6 million43.6 million–54.7 million9.23 billion
204248.3 million42.9 million–54.8 million9.29 billion
204348 million42.2 million–54.9 million9.34 billion
204447.6 million41.5 million–55 million9.39 billion
204547.2 million40.8 million–55.1 million9.44 billion
204646.9 million40.2 million–55.2 million9.49 billion
204746.5 million39.5 million–55.2 million9.54 billion
204846 million38.8 million–55.1 million9.58 billion
204945.6 million38.2 million–54.9 million9.62 billion
205045.1 million37.5 million–54.9 million9.66 billion
205144.7 million36.7 million–54.9 million9.7 billion
205244.2 million36 million–54.8 million9.74 billion
205343.7 million35.2 million–54.6 million9.78 billion
205443.2 million34.4 million–54.5 million9.81 billion
205542.6 million33.6 million–54.5 million9.85 billion
205642.1 million33 million–54.4 million9.88 billion
205741.6 million32.2 million–54.3 million9.91 billion
205841 million31.4 million–54.2 million9.94 billion
205940.4 million30.6 million–54 million9.96 billion
206039.9 million29.8 million–53.8 million9.99 billion
206139.3 million29.1 million–53.6 million10 billion
206238.7 million28.3 million–53.6 million10 billion
206338.2 million27.6 million–53.5 million10.1 billion
206437.6 million26.8 million–53.3 million10.1 billion
206537.1 million26 million–53.1 million10.1 billion
206636.6 million25.3 million–52.9 million10.1 billion
206736 million24.7 million–53 million10.1 billion
206835.5 million24 million–53.1 million10.2 billion
206935 million23.3 million–53.1 million10.2 billion
207034.5 million22.6 million–53.1 million10.2 billion
207133.9 million22 million–53.1 million10.2 billion
207233.4 million21.4 million–53 million10.2 billion
207332.9 million20.8 million–52.9 million10.2 billion
207432.5 million20.3 million–52.8 million10.2 billion
207532 million19.8 million–52.8 million10.3 billion
207631.5 million19.2 million–52.7 million10.3 billion
207731 million18.6 million–52.6 million10.3 billion
207830.6 million18 million–52.6 million10.3 billion
207930.1 million17.4 million–52.8 million10.3 billion
208029.7 million16.9 million–52.9 million10.3 billion
208129.2 million16.5 million–52.8 million10.3 billion
208228.8 million15.9 million–52.8 million10.3 billion
208328.4 million15.5 million–53 million10.3 billion
208427.9 million15.2 million–52.9 million10.3 billion
208527.5 million14.7 million–52.8 million10.3 billion
208627.1 million14.3 million–52.6 million10.3 billion
208726.7 million13.8 million–52.4 million10.3 billion
208826.3 million13.4 million–52.4 million10.3 billion
208925.9 million12.9 million–52.3 million10.3 billion
209025.5 million12.5 million–52 million10.3 billion
209125.1 million12.1 million–51.8 million10.3 billion
209224.7 million11.8 million–51.6 million10.3 billion
209324.3 million11.5 million–51.7 million10.3 billion
209423.9 million11.1 million–52 million10.2 billion
209523.5 million10.7 million–52.2 million10.2 billion
209623.2 million10.4 million–52.1 million10.2 billion
209722.8 million10.1 million–51.8 million10.2 billion
209822.5 million9.82 million–51.7 million10.2 billion
209922.2 million9.53 million–51.8 million10.2 billion
210021.9 million9.29 million–52 million10.2 billion

Good to know

  • Everyone living in the country on 1 July of each year.
  • Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
  • Before 1950: HYDE (2023), Gapminder (2022) and UN WPP (2024), via Our World in Data.
  • The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
  • 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

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