Demographics of South Korea

This article is about the demographic features of the population of South Korea, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 2016.

In June 2012, South Korea's population reached 50 million,[1] and by the end of 2016, South Korea's population had surpassed 51 million people.[2] Since the 2000s, South Korea has been struggling with a low birthrate, leading some researchers to suggest that if current population trends hold, the country's population will shrink to approximately 28 million population towards the end of the 21st century.[3] In 2018, fertility in South Korea became again a topic of international debate after only 26,500 babies were born in October and an estimated of 325,000 babies in the year, causing the country to have the lowest birth rate in the world.[4][5][6]

In 2020, South Korea recorded more deaths than births, resulting in a population decline for the first time on record.[7]

Background

In South Korea, a variety of different Asian people had migrated to the Korean Peninsula in past centuries, however few have remained permanently. South Korea and North Korea are among the world's most ethnically homogenous nations. Both North Korea and South Korea equate nationality or citizenship with membership in a single, homogenous ethnic group and politicized notion of "race."[8]

The common language and especially race are viewed as important elements by South Koreans in terms of identity, more than citizenship.

Population of South Korea by age and sex (demographic pyramid)

  • Demographic evolution of South Korea 1960-2020
  • as on 1955-09-01
  • as on 1960-11-01
  • as on 1965-11-01
  • as on 1970-10-01
  • as on 1975-11-01
  • as on 1980-11-01
  • as on 1985-11-01
  • as on 1990-11-01
  • as on 1995-11-01
  • as on 2000-11-01
  • as on 2005-11-01
  • as on 2010-11-01
  • as on 2015-11-01
  • Live births, deaths of South Korea (1925-2019)
  • Crude births, deaths rate of South Korea (1925-2019)

According to Worldometers' South Korea Population Forecast statistics, South Korea is supposed to have a 0.36% yearly change increase by 2020, a 0.28% yearly change increase by 2025, a 0.18% yearly change increase by 52,701,817, and a 0.04% yearly change increase by 2035.[9] According to those same statistics, the years from 2040 to 2050 are supposed to have a steady decline of yearly change percentages.[9]

The population of South Korea showed robust growth since the republic's establishment in 1948, and then dramatically slowed down with the effects of its economic growth. In the first official census, taken in 1949, the total population of South Korea was calculated at 20,188,641 people. The 1985 census total was 40,466,577. Population growth was slow, averaging about 1.1% annually during the period from 1949 to 1955, when the population registered at 21.5 million. Growth accelerated between 1955 and 1966 to 29.2 million or an annual average of 2.8%, but declined significantly during the period 1966 to 1985 to an annual average of 1.7%. Thereafter, the annual average growth rate was estimated to be less than 1%, similar to the low growth rates of most industrialized countries and to the target figure set by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs for the 1990s. As of January 1, 1989, the population of South Korea was estimated to be approximately 42.2 million.[8]

The proportion of the total population under fifteen years of age has risen and fallen with the growth rate. In 1955 approximately 41.2% of the population was under fifteen years of age, a percentage that rose to 43.5% in 1966 before falling to 38.3% in 1975, 34.2% in 1980, and 29.9% in 1985. In the past, the large proportion of children relative to the total population put great strains on the country's economy, particularly because substantial resources were invested in education facilities. With the slowdown in the population growth rate and a rise in the median age (from 18.7 years to 21.8 years between 1960 and 1980), the age structure of the population has begun to resemble the columnar pattern typical of developed countries, rather than the pyramidal pattern found in most parts of the Third World.[8]

The decline in the population growth rate and in the proportion of people under fifteen years of age after 1966 reflected the success of official and unofficial birth control programs. The government of President Syngman Rhee (1948–60) was conservative in such matters. Although Christian churches initiated a family planning campaign in 1957, it was not until 1962 that the government of Park Chung Hee, alarmed at the way in which the rapidly increasing population was undermining economic growth, began a nationwide family planning program. Other factors that contributed to a slowdown in population growth included urbanization, later marriage ages for both men and women, higher education levels, a greater number of women in the labor force, and better health standards.[8]

Public and private agencies involved in family planning included the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea, and the Korea Institute of Family Planning. In the late 1980s, their activities included distribution of free birth control devices and information, classes for women on family planning methods, and the granting of special subsidies and privileges (such as low-interest housing loans) to parents who agreed to undergo sterilization. There were 502,000 South Koreans sterilized in 1984, as compared with 426,000 in the previous year.[10]

The 1973 Maternal and Child Health Law legalized abortion. In 1983 the government began suspending medical insurance benefits for maternal care for pregnant women with three or more children. It also denied tax deductions for education expenses to parents with two or more children.[8]

As in China, cultural attitudes posed problems for family planning programs. A strong preference for sons—who in Korea's traditional Confucian value system are expected to care for their parents in old age and carry on the family name—means that parents with only daughters usually continued to have children until a son is born. The government encouraged married couples to have only one child. This has been a prominent theme in public service advertising, which stresses "have a single child and raise it well."[8]

Total fertility rates (the average number of births a woman will have during her lifetime) fell from 6.1 births per female in 1960 to 4.2 in 1970, 2.8 in 1980, and 2.4 in 1984. The number of live births, recorded as 711,810 in 1978, grew to a high of 917,860 in 1982. This development stirred apprehensions among family planning experts of a new "baby boom." By 1986, however, the number of live births had declined to 806,041.[8]

Decline in population growth continued, and between 2005 and 2010 total fertility rate for South Korean women was 1.21, one of the world's lowest according to the United Nations.[11] Fertility rate well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per female has triggered a national alarm, with dire predictions of an aging society unable to grow or support its elderly. Recent Korean governments have prioritized the issue on its agenda, promising to enact social reforms that will encourage women to have children.

The country's population increased to 46 million by the end of the twentieth century, with growth rates ranging between 0.9% and 1.2%. The population is expected to stabilize (that is, cease to grow) in the year 2023 at around 52.6 million people. In the words of Asiaweek magazine, the "stabilized tally will approximate the number of Filipinos in 1983, but squeezed into less than a third of their [the Philippines'] space."[8]

As of early 2019, the birth rate of South Korea reached an alarmingly low number. In February 2019, the Korean birth rate fell to 0.98, well below the replacement level of 2.1 births. South Korea is now the fastest aging developed country in the world. The Korean government (and their failing actions against the birth rate issue) and the worsening economic environment for young people are blamed as the main cause.[12]

Population settlement patterns

South Korea is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with an estimated 425 people per square kilometer in 1989—over sixteen times the average population density of the United States in the late 1980s. By comparison, China had an estimated 114 people, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) 246 people, and Japan 323 people per square kilometer in the late 1980s. Because about 70% of South Korea's land area is mountainous and the population is concentrated in the lowland areas, actual population densities were in general greater than the average. As early as 1975, it was estimated that the density of South Korea's thirty-five cities, each of which had a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants, was 3,700 people per square kilometer. Because of continued migration to urban areas, the figure was higher in the late 1980s.[8]

In 1988 Seoul had a population density of 17,030 people per square kilometer as compared with 13,816 people per square kilometer in 1980. The second largest city, Busan, had a density of 8,504 people per square kilometer in 1988 as compared with 7,272 people in 1980. Kyonggi Province, which surrounds the capital and contains Inch'on, the country's fourth largest city, was the most densely populated province; Kangwon Province in the northeast was the least densely populated province.[8]

According to the government's Economic Planning Board, the population density will be 530 people per square kilometer by 2023, the year the population is expected to stabilize.[8]

Rural areas in South Korea consist of agglomerated villages in river valleys and range from a few houses to several hundred.[13] These villages are located in the south that are backed by hills and give strong protection from winter winds.[13]

Since 1960, the pace of urbanization in South Korea has hit a considerable decline in population of rural areas and the traditional rural lifestyle has been slowly fading away.[13]

Aging population

South Korea faces the problem of a rapidly aging population. In fact, the speed of aging in Korea is unprecedented in human history,[14] 18 years to double aging population from 7 – 14% (fewest years),[15] overtaking even Japan. Statistics support this observation, the percentage of elderly aged 65 and above, has sharply risen from 3.3% in 1955 to 10.7% in 2009.[16] The shape of its population has changed from a pyramid in the 1990s, with more young people and fewer old people, to a diamond shape in 2010, with less young people and a large proportion of middle-age individuals.[17]

There are several implications and issues associated with an aging population. A rapidly aging population is likely to have several negative implications on the labour force. In particular, experts predict that this might lead to a shrinking of the labour force. As an increasing proportion of people enter their 50s and 60s, they either choose to retire or are forced to retire by their companies. As such, there would be a decrease in the percentage of economically active people in the population. Also, with rapid aging, it is highly likely that there would be an imbalance in the young-old percentage of the workforce. This might lead to a lack of vibrancy and innovation in the labour force, since it is helmed mainly by the middle-age workers. Data shows that while there are fewer young people in society, the percentage of economically active population, made up of people ages 15 – 64, has gone up by 20% from 55.5% to 72.5%.[16] This shows that the labour force is indeed largely made up of middle-aged workers.

A possible consequence might be that South Korea would be a less attractive candidate for investment. Investors might decide to relocate to countries like Vietnam and China, where there is an abundance of cheaper, younger labour. If employers were to choose to maintain operations in South Korea, there is a possibility that they might incur higher costs in retraining or upgrading the skills of this group of middle-age workers. On top of that, higher healthcare costs might also be incurred [18] and the government would need to set aside more money to maintain a good healthcare system to cater to the elderly.

Due to the very low birth rate, South Korea is predicted to enter a Russian Cross pattern once the large generation born in the 1960s starts to die off, with potentially decades of population decline.

Since 2016, the number of elderly people (+65 years old) outnumbered children (0 – 14 years) and the country became an "aged society". People older than 65 make up more than 14% of the total population.[12]

Urbanization

Like other newly industrializing economies, South Korea experienced rapid growth of urban areas caused by the migration of large numbers of people from the countryside.[8] In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Seoul, by far the largest urban settlement, had a population of about 190,000 people. There was a striking contrast with Japan, where Edo (Tokyo) had as many as 1 million inhabitants and the urban population comprised as much as 10% to 15% of the total during the Tokugawa Period (1600–1868). During the closing years of the Choson Dynasty and the first years of Japanese colonial rule, the urban population of Korea was no more than 3% of the total. After 1930, when the Japanese began industrial development on the Korean Peninsula, particularly in the northern provinces adjacent to Manchuria, the urban portion of the population began to grow, reaching 11.6% for all of Korea in 1940.[8]

Between 1945 and 1985, the urban population of South Korea grew from 14.5% to 65.4% of the total population. In 1988 the Economic Planning Board estimated that the urban portion of the population will reach 78.3% by the end of the twentieth century. Most of this urban increase was attributable to migration rather than to natural growth of the urban population. Urban birth rates have generally been lower than the national average. The extent of urbanization in South Korea, however, is not fully revealed in these statistics. Urban population was defined in the national census as being restricted to those municipalities with 50,000 or more inhabitants. Although many settlements with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants were satellite towns of Seoul or other large cities or mining communities in northeastern Kangwon Province, which would be considered urban in terms of the living conditions and occupations of the inhabitants, they still were officially classified as rural.[8]

The dislocation caused by the Korean War accounted for the rapid increase in urban population during the early 1950s. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of them from North Korea, streamed into the cities. During the post-Korean War period, rural people left their ancestral villages in search of greater economic and educational opportunities in the cities. By the late 1960s, migration had become a serious problem, not only because cities were terribly overcrowded, but also because the rural areas were losing the most youthful and productive members of their labor force.[8]

In 1970, the Park Chung Hee government launched the Saemaul Undong (New Community Movement) as a rural reconstruction and self-help movement to improve economic conditions in the villages, close the wide gap in income between rural and urban areas, and stem urban migration—as well as to build a political base. Despite a huge amount of government sponsored publicity, especially during the Park era, it was not clear by the late 1980s that the Saemaul undong had achieved its objectives. By that time many, if not most, farming and fishing villages consisted of older persons; relatively few able-bodied men and women remained to work in the fields or to fish. This trend was apparent in government statistics for the 1986–87 period: the proportion of people fifty years old or older living in farming communities grew from 28.7% in 1986 to 30.6% in 1987, while the number of people in their twenties living in farming communities declined from 11.3% to 10.8%. The nationwide percentages for people fifty years old or older and in their twenties were, in 1986, 14.9% and 20.2%, respectively.[8]

In 1985 the largest cities were Seoul (9,645,932 inhabitants), Busan (3,516,807), Daegu (2,030,672), Incheon (1,387,491), Gwangju (906,129), and Daejeon (866,695). According to government statistics, the population of Seoul, one of the world's largest cities, surpassed 10 million people in late 1988. Seoul's average annual population growth rate during the late 1980s was more than 3%. Two-thirds of this growth was attributable to migration rather than to natural increase. Surveys revealed that "new employment or seeking a new job," "job transfer," and "business" were major reasons given by new immigrants for coming to the capital. Other factors cited by immigrants included "education" and "a more convenient area to live."[8]

To alleviate overcrowding in Seoul's downtown area, the city government drew up a master plan in the mid-1980s that envisioned the development of four "core zones" by 2000: the original downtown area, Yongdongpo-Yeouido, Yongdong, and Jamsil. Satellite towns also would be established or expanded. In the late 1980s, statistics revealed that the daytime or commuter population of downtown Seoul was as much as six times the officially registered population. If the master plan is successful, many commuters will travel to work in a core area nearer their homes, and the downtown area's daytime population will decrease. Many government ministries have been moved out of Seoul, and the army, navy, and air force headquarters have been relocated to Daejeon.[8]

In 1985 the population of Seoul constituted 23.8% of the national total. Provincial cities, however, experienced equal and, in many cases, greater expansion than the capital. Growth was particularly spectacular in the southeastern coastal region, which encompasses the port cities of Busan, Masan, Yosu, Chinhae, Ulsan, and Pohang. Census figures show that Ulsan's population increased eighteenfold, growing from 30,000 to 551,300 inhabitants between 1960 and 1985. With the exception of Yosu, all of these cities are in South Kyongsang Province, a region that has been an especially favored recipient of government development projects. By comparison, the population of Kwangju, capital of South Cholla Province, increased less than threefold between 1960 and 1985, growing from 315,000 to 906,129 inhabitants.[8]

Rapid urban growth has brought familiar problems to developed and developing countries alike. The construction of large numbers of high-rise apartment complexes in Seoul and other large cities alleviated housing shortages to some extent. But it also imposed hardship on the tens of thousands of people who were obliged to relocate from their old neighborhoods because they could not afford the rents in the new buildings. In the late 1980s, squatter areas consisting of one-story shacks still existed in some parts of Seoul. Housing for all but the wealthiest was generally cramped. The concentration of factories in urban areas, the rapid growth of motorized traffic, and the widespread use of coal for heating during the severe winter months caused dangerous levels of air and water pollution,[8] issues that still persist today even after years of environmentally friendly policies.

In 2016, 82.59 percent of South Korea's total population lived in urban areas and cities.[19]

Vital statistics

UN estimates

Source:[20]

Period Live births per year Deaths per year Natural change per year CBR1 CDR1 NC1 TFR1 IMR1
1950–1955 722,000 331,000 391,000 35.8 16.4 19.4 5.05 138.0
1955–1960 1,049,000 356,000 693,000 45.4 15.4 30.0 6.33 114.4
1960–1965 1,067,000 347,000 720,000 39.9 13.0 27.0 5.63 89.7
1965–1970 985,000 298,000 687,000 32.9 9.9 23.0 4.71 64.2
1970–1975 1,004,000 259,000 746,000 30.4 7.8 22.5 4.28 38.1
1975–1980 833,000 253,000 581,000 23.1 7.0 16.1 2.92 33.2
1980–1985 795,000 248,000 547,000 20.4 6.4 14.0 2.23 24.6
1985–1990 647,000 239,000 407,000 15.5 5.7 9.8 1.60 14.9
1990–1995 702,000 239,000 463,000 16.0 5.5 10.6 1.70 9.7
1995–2000 615,000 247,000 368,000 13.6 5.5 8.1 1.51 6.6
2000–2005 476,000 245,000 231,000 10.2 5.3 5.0 1.22 5.3
2005–2010 477,000 243,000 234,000 10.0 5.1 4.9 1.29 3.8
2010–2015 455,000 275,000 180,000 1.26
1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births

Life expectancy at birth from 1908 to 2015

Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations.

1865-1949

Years 1908 1913 1918 1923 1928 1933 1938 1942 1950[21]
Life expectancy in South Korea 23.5 25.0 27.0 29.5 33.6 37.4 42.6 44.9 46.7

1950-2015

Period Life expectancy in
Years		 Period Life expectancy in
Years
1950–1955 47.9 1985–1990 70.3
1955–1960 51.2 1990–1995 72.9
1960–1965 54.8 1995–2000 75.0
1965–1970 58.8 2000–2005 77.2
1970–1975 63.1 2005–2010 79.4
1975–1980 65.0 2010–2015 81.3
1980–1985 67.4

Source: UN World Population Prospects[22]

Total Fertility Rate from 1900 to 1924

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.[23]

Years19001901190219031904190519061907190819091910[23]
Total Fertility Rate in South Korea665.995.995.985.985.975.965.965.96
Years1911191219131914191519161917191819191920[23]
Total Fertility Rate in South Korea5.955.955.945.945.935.935.925.925.935.94
Years1921192219231924[23]
Total Fertility Rate in South Korea5.955.965.975.95

Registered births and deaths

Source:[20]

Average population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) Total fertility rate (TFR)[23]
1925 12,997,611 558,897 359,042 199,855 43.0 27.6 15.4 5.95
1926 13,052,741 511,667 337,948 173,719 39.2 25.9 13.3 5.91
1927 13,037,169 534,524 353,818 180,706 41.0 27.1 13.9 5.89
1928 13,105,131 566,142 357,701 208,441 43.2 27.3 15.9 5.87
1929 13,124,279 566,969 414,366 152,603 43.2 31.6 11.6 5.90
1930 13,880,469 587,144 322,611 264,533 42.3 23.2 19.1 5.93
1931 13,895,052 589,428 346,800 242,628 42.4 25.0 17.4 5.96
1932 14,117,191 600,545 384,287 216,258 42.5 27.2 15.3 5.99
1933 14,229,277 607,021 336,232 270,789 42.7 23.6 19.1 6.02
1934 14,449,155 618,135 356,515 261,620 42.8 24.7 18.1 6.05
1935 15,061,960 646,158 377,454 268,704 42.9 25.1 17.8 6.08
1936 15,114,775 639,355 381,806 257,549 42.3 25.3 17.0 6.12
1937 15,235,383 636,839 342,575 294,264 41.8 22.5 19.3 6.15
1938 15,358,193 569,299 347,025 222,274 37.1 22.6 14.5 6.18
1939 15,486,028 585,482 353,391 232,091 37.8 22.8 15.0 6.16
1940 15,559,741 527,964 358,496 169,468 33.9 23.0 10.9 6.14
1941 15,745,478 553,690 366,239 187,451 35.2 23.3 11.9 6.12
1942 16,013,742 533,768 376,003 157,765 33.3 23.5 9.8 6.10
1943 16,239,721 513,846 384,881 128,965 31.6 23.7 7.9 6.08
1944 16,599,172 533,215 380,121 153,094 32.1 22.9 9.2 5.98
1945 16,695,819 544,786 367,308 177,478 32.6 22.0 10.6 5.88
1946 19,369,270 590,763 410,629 180,134 30.5 21.2 9.3 5.79
1947 19,836,234 686,334 361,019 325,315 35.0 18.2 16.8 5.69
1948 20,027,393 692,948 374,512 318,436 34.6 18.7 15.9 5.59
1949 20,188,641 696,508 341,188 355,320 34.5 16.9 17.6 4.81
1950 19,211,386 633,976 597,474 36,502 33.0 31.1 1.9 5.05
1951 19,304,737 675,666 579,142 96,524 35.0 30.0 5.0
1952 19,566,860 722,018 457,865 264,153 36.9 23.4 13.5
1953 19,979,069 777,186 363,619 413,567 38.9 18.2 20.7
1954 20,520,601 839,293 348,850 490,433 40.9 17.0 23.9
1955 21,168,611 908,134 295,302 612,832 42.9 14.0 28.9 6.33
1956 21,897,911 945,990 294,344 651,646 43.2 13.4 29.8
1957 22,681,233 963,952 293,344 670,608 42.5 12.9 29.6
1958 23,490,027 993,628 291,864 701,764 42.3 12.4 29.9
1959 24,295,786 1,016,173 289,525 726,648 41.8 11.9 29.9
1960 25,012,374 1,080,535 285,350 795,185 43.2 11.4 31.8 6.16
1961 25,765,673 1,046,086 280,846 765,240 40.6 10.9 29.7 5.99
1962 26,513,030 1,036,659 270,433 760,266 39.1 10.2 28.9 5.79
1963 27,261,747 1,033,220 278,070 755,150 37.9 10.2 27.7 5.57
1964 27,984,155 1,001,833 279,842 721,991 35.8 10.0 25.8 5.36
1965 28,704,674 996,052 272,694 723,358 34.7 9.5 25.2 5.16
1966 29,435,571 1,030,245 294,356 735,889 35.0 10.0 25.0 4.99
1967 30,130,983 1,005,293 242,280 763,013 33.4 8.0 25.4 4.84
1968 30,838,302 1,043,321 280,308 763,013 33.8 9.1 24.7 4.72
1969 31,544,266 1,044,943 270,023 774,920 33.1 8.6 24.5 4.62
1970 32,240,827 1,006,645 258,589 748,056 31.2 8.0 23.2 4.53
1971 32,882,704 1,024,773 237,528 787,245 31.2 7.2 23.9 4.54
1972 33,505,406 952,780 210,071 742,709 28.4 6.3 22.2 4.12
1973 34,103,149 965,521 267,460 698,061 28.3 7.8 20.5 4.07
1974 34,692,266 922,823 248,807 674,016 26.6 7.2 19.4 3.77
1975 35,280,725 874,030 270,657 603,373 24.8 7.7 17.1 3.43
1976 35,848,523 796,331 266,857 529,474 22.2 7.4 14.8 3.00
1977 36,411,795 825,339 249,254 576,085 22.7 6.8 15.8 2.99
1978 36,969,185 750,728 252,298 498,430 20.3 6.8 13.5 2.64
1979 37,534,236 862,669 239,986 622,683 23.0 6.4 16.6 2.90
1980 38,123,775 862,835 277,284 585,551 22.6 7.3 15.4 2.82
1981 38,723,248 867,409 237,481 629,928 22.4 6.1 16.3 2.57
1982 39,326,352 848,312 245,767 602,545 21.6 6.2 15.3 2.39
1983 39,910,403 769,155 254,563 514,592 19.3 6.4 12.9 2.06
1984 40,405,956 674,793 236,445 438,348 16.7 5.9 10.8 1.74
1985 40,805,744 655,489 240,418 415,071 16.1 5.9 10.2 1.66
1986 41,213,674 636,019 239,256 396,763 15.4 5.8 9.6 1.58
1987 41,621,690 623,831 243,504 380,327 15.0 5.9 9.1 1.53
1988 42,031,247 633,092 235,779 397,313 15.1 5.6 9.5 1.55
1989 42,449,038 639,431 236,818 402,613 15.1 5.6 9.5 1.56
1990 42,869,283 649,738 241,616 408,122 15.2 5.6 9.5 1.57
1991 43,295,704 709,275 242,270 467,005 16.4 5.6 10.8 1.71
1992 43,747,962 730,678 236,162 494,516 16.7 5.4 11.3 1.76
1993 44,194,628 715,826 234,257 481,569 16.0 5.2 10.8 1.65
1994 44,641,540 721,185 242,439 478,746 16.0 5.4 10.6 1.66
1995 45,092,991 715,020 242,838 472,182 15.7 5.3 10.3 1.63
1996 45,524,681 691,226 241,149 450,077 15.0 5.2 9.8 1.57
1997 45,953,580 675,394 244,693 430,701 14.4 5.2 9.2 1.54
1998 46,286,503 641,594 245,825 395,769 13.6 5.2 8.4 1.46
1999 46,616,677 620,668 247,734 372,934 13.0 5.2 7.8 1.43
2000 47,008,111 640,089 248,740 391,349 13.3 5.2 8.2 1.48
2001 47,370,164 559,934 243,813 316,121 11.6 5.0 6.5 1.31
2002 47,644,736 496,911 247,524 249,387 10.2 5.1 5.1 1.18
2003 47,892,330 495,036 246,463 248,573 10.2 5.1 5.1 1.19
2004 48,082,519 476,958 246,220 230,738 9.8 5.0 4.7 1.16
2005 48,184,561 438,707 245,874 192,833 8.9 5.0 3.9 1.09
2006 48,438,292 451,759 244,162 207,597 9.2 5.0 4.2 1.13
2007 48,683,638 496,822 246,482 250,340 10.0 5.0 5.1 1.26
2008 49,054,708 465,892 246,113 219,779 9.4 5.0 4.4 1.19
2009 49,307,835 444,849 246,942 197,907 9.0 5.0 4.0 1.15
2010 49,554,112 470,171 255,405 214,766 9.4 5.1 4.3 1.23
2011 49,936,638 471,265 257,396 213,869 9.4 5.1 4.3 1.24
2012 50,199,853 484,550 267,221 217,329 9.6 5.3 4.3 1.3
2013 50,428,893 436,455 266,257 170,198 8.6 5.3 3.4 1.19
2014 50,746,659 435,435 267,692 167,743 8.6 5.3 3.3 1.21
2015 51,014,947 438,420 275,895 162,525 8.6 5.4 3.2 1.24
2016 51,245,707 406,243 280,827 125,416 7.9 5.5 2.5 1.17
2017 51,466,201 357,771 285,534 72,237 7.0 5.6 1.4 1.05
2018[24] 51,635,256 326,822 298,820 28,002 6.4 5.8 0.6 0.98
2019[25] 51,709,098 302,676 295,132 7,544 5.9 5.7 0.2 0.92
2020[26] 51,829,023 275,815 307,764 -31,949 5.3 5.9 -0.6 0.84

Current natural population growth

[27]

  • Births from January - October 2019 = 257,721
  • Births from January - October 2020 = 233,702
  • Deaths from January - October 2019 = 242,976
  • Deaths from January - October 2020 = 252,518
  • Natural growth from January - October 2019 = 14,745
  • Natural growth from January - October 2020 = -18,816

Ethnic groups
Further information: Foreigners in South Korea

South Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world with an absolute majority of Korean ethnicity who account for approximately 96% of the total population.[28] However, with its emergence as an economic powerhouse, demand for foreign immigrants increased and in 2007 the number of foreign citizen residents in South Korea passed the one million mark for the first time in history,[29] and the number reached 2 million in 2016. Of those, 1,016,000 came from China, with more than half of them being ethnic Koreans of Chinese citizenship. The next largest group was from Vietnam with 149,000 residents. The third largest group was from the United States with 117,000 residents, excluding the American troops stationed in the country. Thailand, Philippines, Uzbekistan and other countries followed. Many of the foreign residents from China and the former Soviet Union, including Russia and Uzbekistan, are ethnic Koreans (see Koreans in China, Koryo-saram).

Chinese in South Korea

Since The People's Republic of China and South Korea restored their diplomatic relationship in 1992, the number of Chinese immigrants has continued to increase.[30] In the early 1900s, a trade agreement allowed merchants from China to conduct business trades in South Korea.[30]

North Americans in South Korea

South Korea is a country with one of the largest American expat populations in the world, numbering over 100,000. Many American expats are English teachers, spouses of Korean nationals, and Korean Americans who have returned to South Korea. South Korea also has a Canadian population of over 20,000.[30]

Vietnamese in South Korea

The relationship between Vietnamese and Koreans date back to when Lý Dương left for Goryeo after succession of power dispute. Likewise in 1226, Lý Long Tường, a prince of the Lý Dynasty of Đại Việt (in modern-day Vietnam), later became Lee Yong-sang (이용상) of Hwasan, a general of Korea. He is an ancestor of one branch of the Lee (or Rhee) family today in South Korea.[31] Nowadays, most Vietnamese immigrants are either manual labor workers or marriage immigrants.[30][32]

Filipinos in South Korea

Relationship between Filipinos and South Koreans can be traced back to 1950s during the Korean War.[30] Over 7,500 Filipino soldiers fought on the United Nations' side to help South Korea.[30] As of 2019, there were more than 55,000 Filipino immigrants living in South Korea.[30] Population decline in rural regions led to shortage of young people especially young women in those areas [30] and it led many Southeast Asian brides including many Filipinos to marry Korean men and move to South Korea.[30]

Foreign population

Below are the foreigner groups in South Korea that number more than 4,000.

Nationalities of foreigners in South Korea (as of July 2019)

 China 1,092,622
 Vietnam 219,076
 Thailand 203,343
 United States 161,875
 Uzbekistan 73,445
 Russia 62,567
 Philippines 55,909
 Japan 47,120
 Cambodia 47,049
 Mongolia 46,620
   Nepal 41,776
 Indonesia 41,574
 Taiwan 32,588
 Myanmar 28,497
 Canada 27,136
 Sri Lanka 25,010
 Bangladesh 16,814
 Pakistan 13,658
 India 12,942
 Hong Kong 11,440
 Australia 9,677
 United Kingdom 7,877
 New Zealand 4,128

Languages
Main articles: Korean language and Koreanic languages

The Korean language is the native language spoken by the vast majority of the population. English is widely taught in both public and private schools as a foreign language. However, general fluency in English in the country is relatively low compared to other industrialized developed countries. There is a Chinese minority who speak Mandarin and Cantonese. Some elderly may still speak Japanese, which was official during the Japanese rule in Korea (1905–1945).[33]

In different areas of South Korea, different dialects are spoken. For example, the Gyeongsang dialect spoken around Busan and Daegu to the south sounds quite rough and aggressive compared to standard Korean.[33]

Religion
Main article: Religion in South Korea

Koreans have historically, lived under the religious influences of shamanism, Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism.[34]

Korea is a country where the world's most major religions, Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism peacefully coexist.[35] According to 2015 statistics, 43.1% of Korean population has a religion and 2008 statistics show that over 510 religious organizations were in the South Korea population.[35]

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[38]

Year Population Growth rate Age structure
2020 51,645,782 0.02%
  • 0–14 years: 10.74% (male 2,895,198/female 2,651,793)
  • 15–64 years: 75.04% (male 19,432,750/female 19,321,541)
  • 65 years and over: 14.22% (male 3,891,529/female 3,452,971)
2016 50,924,172 0.53%
  • 0–14 years: 13.45% (male 3,535,137/female 3,315,510)
  • 15–24 years: 13.08% (male 3,515,779/female 3,146,084)
  • 25–54 years: 45.93% (male 12,008,399/female 11,379,261)
  • 55–64 years: 14.01% (male 3,521,569/female 3,611,481)
  • 65 years and over: 13.53% (male 2,918,156/female 3,972,796)
2007 49,044,790 0.578%
  • 0–14 years: 18.3% (male 4,714,103/female 4,262,873)
  • 15–64 years: 72.1% (male 18,004,719/female 17,346,594)
  • 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,921,803/female 2,794,698)
2006 48,846,823 0.58%
  • 0–14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
  • 15–64 years: 71.8% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)
  • 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914)

Age structure
  • 0–14 years: 13.21% (male 3,484,398/female 3,276,984)
  • 15–24 years: 12.66% (male 3,415,998/female 3,065,144)
  • 25–54 years: 45.52% (male 11,992,462/female 11,303,726)
  • 55–64 years: 14.49% (male 3,660,888/female 3,756,947)
  • 65 years and over: 14.12% (male 3,080,601/female 4,144,151) (2017 est.)

Literacy
  • Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  • total population: 99.9%
  • male: 99.9%
  • female: 99.9% (2018)

Koreans living overseas

Large-scale emigration from Korea began around 1904 and continued until the end of World War II. During the Korea under Japanese rule period, many Koreans emigrated to Manchuria (present-day China's northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang), other parts of China, the Soviet Union, Hawaii, and the contiguous United States.[8]

Most emigrated for economic reasons; employment opportunities were scarce, and many Korean farmers lost their land after the Japanese introduced a system of land registration and private land tenure, imposed higher land taxes, and promoted the growth of an absentee landlord class charging exorbitant rents. Koreans from the northern provinces of Korea went mainly to Manchuria, China, and Siberia. Many people from the southern provinces went to Japan. Koreans were conscripted into Japanese labor battalions or the Japanese army, especially during World War II. In the 1940–44 period, nearly 2 million Koreans lived in Japan, 1.4 million in Manchuria, 600,000 in Siberia, and 130,000 in China. An estimated 40,000 Koreans were scattered among other countries. At the end of World War II, approximately 2 million Koreans were repatriated from Japan and Manchuria.[8]

More than 4 million ethnic Koreans lived outside the peninsula during the early 1980s. The largest group, about 1.7 million people, lived in China, the descendants of the Korean farmers who had left the country during the Japanese occupation. Most had assumed Chinese citizenship. The Soviet Union had about 430,000 ethnic Koreans.[39]

By contrast, many of Japan's approximately 700,000 Koreans had below-average standards of living. This situation occurred partly because of discrimination by the Japanese majority and partly because a large number of resident Koreans, loyal to the North Korean regime of Kim Il Sung, preferred to remain separate from and hostile to the Japanese mainstream. The pro–North Korea Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) initially was more successful than the pro–South Korea Mindan (Association for Korean Residents in Japan) in attracting adherents among residents in Japan. Since diplomatic relations were established between Seoul and Tokyo in 1965, however, the South Korean government has taken an active role in promoting the interests of their residents in Japan in negotiations with the Japanese government. It also has provided subsidies to Korean schools in Japan and other community activities.[8]

By the end of 1988, there were over two million South Koreans residing overseas. North America was home to over 1.2 million. South Koreans also were residents of Australia (100,000), Central and South America (45,000), the Middle East (12,000), Western Europe (40,000), New Zealand (30,000), other Asian countries (27,000), and Africa (25,000). A limited number of South Korean government-sponsored migrants settled in Chile, Argentina, and other Latin American countries.[8]

Because of South Korea's rapid economic expansion, an increasing number of its citizens reside abroad on a temporary basis as business executives, technical personnel, foreign students, and construction workers. A large number of formerly expatriate South Koreans have returned to South Korea primarily because of the country's much improved economic conditions and the difficulties they experienced in adjusting to living abroad.[8]

See also

References
  1. "South Korea's population passes 50 million". June 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 2018-07-04.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Population, total | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  3. World Population Prospects 2019 by the United Nations, DESA, Population Division.
  4. "S. Korea's childbirth tally drops to another historic low in October …". archive.fo. 2019-01-23. Archived from the original on 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  5. "South Korea's fertility rate is the lowest in the world". The Economist. 2018-06-30. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  6. "Fertility rate dips below 1 in 2018: official". archive.fo. 2019-01-30. Archived from the original on 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  7. Gladstone, Rick. "As Birthrate Falls, South Korea's Population Declines, Posing Threat to Economy". New York Times. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  8. Savada & Shaw 1992.
  9. "South Korea Population (2018) - Worldometers". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  10. Savada & Shaw 1992, p. 79.
  11. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2007). "United Nations World Population Prospects: 2006 revision, Table A.15" (PDF). New York: UN. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  12. Steger, Isabella. "South Korea's birth rate just crashed to another alarming low". Quartz. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  13. "South Korea | Culture, History, and People - Settlement patterns". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  14. Thomas Klassen "South Korean: Ageing Tiger", Global Brief, January 12, 2010, accessed February 13, 2011.
  15. Neil Howe, Richard Jackson, Keisuke Nakashima. The Aging of Korea: Demographics and retirement policy in the land of the morning calm. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2007, p. 7.
  16. Jung Ha-won "Statistics highlight scale of the aging population", Korea JoongAng Daily, November 21, 2009, accessed February 14, 2011.
  17. Thomas Klassen "South Korean: Aging Tiger", Global Brief, January 12, 2010, accessed February 13, 2011.
  18. Spectre of aging population worries economists. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Volume 88, Number 3, March 2010, p. 161-240.
  19. "South Korea - urbanization 2006-2016 | Statistic". Statista. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  20. "World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision". Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  21. "Life expectancy". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  22. "World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations". Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  23. Max Roser (2014), "Fertility Rate", Our World In Data, Gapminder Foundation
  24. http://kostat.go.kr/assist/synap/preview/skin/doc.html?fn=synapview373361_2&rs=/assist/synap/preview
  25. http://kostat.go.kr/assist/synap/preview/skin/doc.html?fn=synapview380865_1&rs=/assist/synap/preview
  26. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/01/03/national/socialAffairs/population-decline-korea-aging-society/20210103165800619.html
  27. "Statistical database - Vital statistic".
  28. "Ethnic Minorities And Immigrants In South Korea". WorldAtlas.
  29. Yonhap News. "South Korea's foreign population passes the million mark for the first time in history". Hankyoreh.
  30. "Ethnic Minorities And Immigrants In South Korea". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  31. Phillip Taylor, Modernity and Re-Enchantment: Religion in Post-Revolutionary Vietnam Institute of Southeast Asian Studies - 2007 - Page 80 "To this day, the Lý Long Tường branch of the Vietnamese royal family is concentrated in the Hoa Son district outside of Seoul in what is now South Korea (Phạm Côn Sơn 1998). In the 1980s, one descendant of this wayward prince began ..."
  32. VnExpress. "Number of Vietnamese students in South Korea grow fastest in the world - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  33. "Languages in South Korea". Gap Year. 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  34. "Historical and Modern Religions of Korea". Asia Society. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  35. (KOCIS), Korean Culture and Information Service. "Religion : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea". www.korea.net. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  36. http://old.thejakartapost.com/community/korea3.asp
  37. http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/167/
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  39. Savada & Shaw 1992, p. 86.

Works cited
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