Population density in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Population density was 529.84 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
529.84 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
23rd
of 215 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
63
1961–2023
Population density in Republic of Korea, 1961–2023
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
Republic of Korea recorded 529.84 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Republic of 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.
Republic of Korea ranks 23rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Republic of 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% |
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 | 530.2 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 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 20 Saint Martin (French part) 550.3 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 21 Burundi 533.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 22 Netherlands 530.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 India 483.68 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 25 Comoros 456.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 26 Israel 455.13 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Republic of 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Republic of Korea?
- Population density in Republic of Korea was 529.84 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, 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 Republic of 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 Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 267.11 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for population density?
- Republic of Korea ranks 23rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of 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 — 63 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.