COUNTRY PROFILE / KOR
South Korea
Korea, Rep. / KOR / KR
For South Korea, population is 51,684,564 people (2025, #29/215) and area is 100,450 km² (2023, #109/215). This profile covers 92 comparable rankings and 9 thematic maps. Largest religious group: Unaffiliated (2021 / 60%); Main language: Korean.
01 / BASIC INFORMATION
South Korea in numbers.
02 / JAPAN COMPARISON & TRENDS
Compare South Korea with Japan and track change.
JAPAN REFERENCE
In the recorded data for South Korea, population is about 41.9% of Japan's value and area is about 26.6% of Japan's value. Reference years can differ, so check the year shown for each value.
| Indicator | South Korea | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,684,564 people2025 / About 41.9% of Japan's value | 123,366,734 people2025 |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 / About 26.6% of Japan's value | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Population density | 514.5 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 / About 1.58 times Japan's value | 326.4 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 83.63 years2024 / 0.41 years shorter than Japan | 84.04 years2024 |
| GDP per capita | US$ 36,2272025 / About 1.01 times Japan's value | US$ 35,9512025 |
RECORDED CHANGE OVER TIME
Population
2000 → 2025Recorded population moved from 47,008,111 people in 2000 to 51,684,564 people in 2025, an increase of about 9.9%.Life expectancy
2000 → 2024Recorded life expectancy moved from 75.91 years in 2000 to 83.63 years in 2024, an increase of 7.72 years.GDP per capita
2000 → 2025Recorded GDP per capita moved from US$ 12,710 in 2000 to US$ 36,227 in 2025, an increase of about 185%. The values are in current US dollars, so exchange rates and inflation affect the comparison.03 / ALL RANKINGS
87 additional rankings for South Korea.
87 rankings in 9 categories
Essentials5 rankings
People & society12 rankings
Health10 rankings
Economy & work24 rankings
Education & science6 rankings
Food & agriculture7 rankings
Environment & digital14 rankings
Safety & politics6 rankings
Travel & culture3 rankings
04 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY