Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in South Korea
South Korea: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 530.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
530.24 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
23rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
531.11 people per sq. km of land area
in 2020
All-time low
267.11 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in South Korea, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 530.24 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in South Korea peaked at 531.11 people per sq. km of land area in 2020 and was at its lowest, 267.11 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
South Korea ranks 23rd of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 267.11 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 274.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 282.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1964 | 290.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 297.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 305.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 312.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 319.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 327.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 334.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 340.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 347.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 353.55 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 359.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 365.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 371.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 377.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 383.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 389.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 395.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 401.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 407.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 413.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 418.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 423.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 427.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 431.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 435.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 440.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 444.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 448.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 453.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 458.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 462.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 467.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 471.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 476.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 479.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 483.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 487.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 489.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 492.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 494.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 496.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 497.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 499.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 502.31 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 505.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 508.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 509.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 513.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 515.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 517.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 520.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 523.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 525.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 526.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 528.97 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 530.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 531.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 530.43 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 529.43 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 529.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 530.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 530.24 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 3.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 530.24 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 140.28 people per sq. km of land area, 3.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 297.39 people per sq. km of land area | 267.11 people per sq. km of land area | 327.02 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 362.29 people per sq. km of land area | 334.24 people per sq. km of land area | 389.12 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 419.46 people per sq. km of land area | 395.23 people per sq. km of land area | 440.07 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 464.67 people per sq. km of land area | 444.43 people per sq. km of land area | 483.27 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 497.42 people per sq. km of land area | 487.33 people per sq. km of land area | 508.01 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 521.29 people per sq. km of land area | 509.82 people per sq. km of land area | 530.38 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 530.21 people per sq. km of land area | 529.43 people per sq. km of land area | 531.11 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 20 San Marino 555.18 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 21 Burundi 547.03 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 22 Netherlands 534.41 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 Saint Martin (French part) 493 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 25 India 488.01 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 26 Comoros 463.51 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for South Korea
- Population in the largest city 23.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 21.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.511 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 26.41 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.2996 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 269.03 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 10.03 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Adjusted rural to urban parity index for achieving a minimum 0.9113 (2012)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in South Korea?
- Population density in South Korea was 530.24 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 531.11 people per sq. km of land area in 2020.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 267.11 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does South Korea rank for population density?
- South Korea ranks 23rd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.