Country ISO code: KR

Official language: Korean

Language ISO code: ko

South Korea Population in 2025

• Estimated total population in January 2025: approximately 51.7 million inhabitants.

• Population decreased by about 41,000 people (-0.08%) from early 2024 to early 2025.

• 81.5% of the population lives in urban centers, while 18.5% reside in rural areas.

• Gender distribution is nearly balanced, with 50.1% female and 49.9% male.

• Median age is 45.6 years, indicating an aging population.

Approximate Age Distribution (early 2025)

• Ages 0 to 4: 2.4%

• Ages 5 to 12: 6.0%

• Ages 13 to 17: 4.5%

• Ages 18 to 24: 7.0%

• Ages 25 to 34: 13.7%

• Ages 35 to 44: 13.8%

• Ages 45 to 54: 15.9%

• Ages 55 to 64: 16.3%

• Ages 65 and older: 20.3%

Demographic and Social Trends

• South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates globally, with a continuing decline despite government efforts to encourage childbirth.

• Life expectancy has increased to nearly 83 years, contributing to population aging.

• The elderly population (65+) has grown significantly, representing over 20% of the total population.

• Projections indicate that within 50 years, half of the population may be 65 or older, with total population declining to about 36 million.

Summary

South Korea faces an aging and declining population, with high urban concentration and balanced gender ratio. The total population in 2025 is about 51.7 million, with a high median age and growing elderly proportion, posing future social and economic challenges.

Sources: DataReportal, Worldometer, Macrotrends, Statista, Hani English.