What is the population of South Korea?
South Korea has 51.7 million people (2025). The population grew from 25 million in 1960 to a peak of 51.8 million in 2020 and has since fallen to 51.7 million.
Population by decade
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 25,012,374 |
| 1970 | 32,240,827 |
| 1980 | 38,123,775 |
| 1990 | 42,869,283 |
| 2000 | 47,008,111 |
| 2010 | 49,554,112 |
| 2020 | 51,836,239 |
| 2025 | 51,684,564 |
What is the capital of South Korea?
The capital of South Korea is Seoul.
What currency does South Korea use?
South Korea uses the South Korean won (KRW).
What language is spoken in South Korea?
The official language of South Korea is Korean.
Where is South Korea?
South Korea is in Asia.
Location on the map
Neighboring countries
Countries that border this country:
How big is South Korea?
South Korea covers 100,460 km² (38,788 sq mi). The United States is about 98 times as large.
Economy of South Korea
- Gross domestic product (GDP)
- $1.87 trillion
- GDP per person
- $36,227
- Life expectancy
- 83.6 years
Data: World Bank (GDP 2025, GDP per person 2025, life expectancy 2024)
Economic development
Income group World Bank classification
Based on economic indicators, South Korea is classified as high income. High-income countries have a gross national income per person above $14,005.
Data based on World Bank classifications
Related countries
Where does South Korea rank?
South Korea is in the top 50 on four of our six rankings: