KOR · KR · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea had a population of 51,600,388 people in 2026, ranking 31 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 51,600,388 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #31/ 237 Asia #13 / 51
- Share of world population
- 0.62% 2026
- Density
- 521.5 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 46.2 years
- Life expectancy
- 84.64 years
Country or area overview
Republic of Korea is in Asia. In 2026, its population was 51,600,388 people, about 0.62% of the world total. It ranks #31 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 19,757,321 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 21,848,791 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is -0.14%. The median age is 46.2. 9.8% of the population is under 15 and 21.4% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 84.64 and the total fertility rate is 0.76. Within Asia, it ranks #13 of 51 by population and #10 of 51 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Republic of Korea map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 635,278 | 603,105 | 1,238,383 | 2.40% |
| 5–9 | 818,472 | 778,681 | 1,597,153 | 3.10% |
| 10–14 | 1,142,171 | 1,088,176 | 2,230,347 | 4.32% |
| 15–19 | 1,205,370 | 1,136,089 | 2,341,459 | 4.54% |
| 20–24 | 1,344,765 | 1,244,313 | 2,589,078 | 5.02% |
| 25–29 | 1,752,250 | 1,596,531 | 3,348,781 | 6.49% |
| 30–34 | 1,965,051 | 1,699,289 | 3,664,340 | 7.10% |
| 35–39 | 1,753,722 | 1,562,905 | 3,316,627 | 6.43% |
| 40–44 | 1,897,659 | 1,768,961 | 3,666,620 | 7.11% |
| 45–49 | 2,008,271 | 1,927,543 | 3,935,814 | 7.63% |
| 50–54 | 2,112,897 | 2,062,726 | 4,175,623 | 8.09% |
| 55–59 | 2,184,638 | 2,193,613 | 4,378,251 | 8.48% |
| 60–64 | 2,020,054 | 2,038,251 | 4,058,305 | 7.86% |
| 65–69 | 1,874,646 | 1,998,626 | 3,873,272 | 7.51% |
| 70–74 | 1,275,951 | 1,444,420 | 2,720,371 | 5.27% |
| 75–79 | 835,452 | 1,024,362 | 1,859,814 | 3.60% |
| 80–84 | 529,063 | 786,090 | 1,315,153 | 2.55% |
| 85–89 | 275,754 | 559,159 | 834,913 | 1.62% |
| 90–94 | 82,873 | 269,594 | 352,467 | 0.68% |
| 95–99 | 11,844 | 78,663 | 90,507 | 0.18% |
| 100+ | 684 | 12,428 | 13,112 | 0.03% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 51,600,388 people | 21,848,791 people | people |
| Male population | 25,726,865 people | 10,294,718 people | people |
| Female population | 25,873,523 people | 11,554,074 people | people |
| Population density | 521.5 people/km² | 220.8 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 99.4 | 89.1 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 46.2 | 59.9 | years |
| Natural change | -135,799 | -315,846 | people |
| Natural change rate | -2.63 ‰ | -14.46 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | -73,154 | -316,384 | people |
| Population growth rate | -0.14% | -1.45% | % |
| Population doubling time | — | — | years |
| Births | 249,556 people | 119,211 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 631 | 364 | people |
| Birth rate | 4.84 ‰ | 5.46 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 0.76 | 1.30 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 0.368 | 0.628 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 33.42 | 33.42 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 106.0 | 106.2 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 385,355 people | 435,057 people | people |
| Male deaths | 206,069 | 208,246 | people |
| Female deaths | 179,287 | 226,811 | people |
| Death rate | 7.47 ‰ | 19.91 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.64 | 93.14 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 81.56 | 90.18 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 87.51 | 96.05 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 69.89 | 78.22 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 21.83 | 28.93 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 10.66 | 15.47 | years |
| Infant deaths | 472 | 69 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 1.90 ‰ | 0.58 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 249,152 | 119,152 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 611 | 84 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 2.46 ‰ | 0.71 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | 62,644 | -554 | people |
| Net migration rate | 1.21 ‰ | -0.03 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Republic of Korea?
- In 2026, Republic of Korea had a population of 51,600,388 people. It ranks #31 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Republic of Korea changed?
- The population was 19,757,321 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 21,848,791 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Republic of Korea?
- The median age is 46.2. 9.8% of the population is under 15 and 21.4% is 65 or older.
- How does Republic of Korea compare within Asia?
- By total population, Republic of Korea ranks #13 of 51 in Asia and #31 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.