Compare the Worldๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž
โ† Back to countries
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท

COUNTRY PROFILE / KOR

Korea, Rep.

Korea, Rep. / KR

01 / BASIC INFORMATION

Korea, Rep. in numbers.

Area100,450 kmยฒWorld # 109 โ†’Population51.7MWorld # 29 โ†’Population density514.5 people/kmยฒWorld # 19 โ†’Life expectancy83.6 yearsWorld # 14 โ†’GDP per capitaUS$ 36,227World # 46 โ†’

02 / ALL RANKINGS

Korea, Rep. across 51 rankings.

Essentials

Area100,450 kmยฒWorld # 109 / 2023 โ†’Population51.7MWorld # 29 / 2025 โ†’Population density514.5 people/kmยฒWorld # 19 / Population 2025 ยท area 2023 โ†’Independence / founding reference year1,945World # 116 / CIA World Factbook 2025 archive โ†’

People & society

Population growth-0.1%World # 181 / 2025 โ†’Total fertility rate0.7World # 214 / 2024 โ†’Birth rate4.7 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 214 / 2024 โ†’Death rate7 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 120 / 2024 โ†’Median age44.5 yearsWorld # 21 / 2023 โ†’Population aged 65+20.3%World # 35 / 2025 โ†’Population aged 0โ€“1410.2%World # 215 / 2025 โ†’Urban population81.2%World # 54 / 2025 โ†’Net migration65.7KWorld # 20 / 2025 โ†’Net migration rate1.3 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 59 / 2025 โ†’International migrant share3.5%World # 129 / 2024 โ†’

Health

Life expectancy83.6 yearsWorld # 14 / 2024 โ†’Healthy life expectancy72.5 yearsWorld # 3 / 2021 โ†’Physicians per 1,000 people2.6 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 74 / 2022 โ†’Smoking rate18.6%World # 85 / 2024 โ†’

Economy & work

GDP per capitaUS$ 36,227World # 46 / 2025 โ†’Nominal GDPUS$ 1.9TWorld # 13 / 2025 โ†’GDP per capita (PPP)US$ 63,125World # 35 / 2025 โ†’Real GDP growth1%World # 173 / 2025 โ†’Inflation2.1%World # 127 / 2025 โ†’Unemployment2.7%World # 158 / 2025 โ†’Youth unemployment6.7%World # 148 / 2025 โ†’Average annual working hours1,910 hours/yearWorld # 73 / 2023 โ†’Average sleep time7.8 hours/dayWorld # 18 / Approximately 1998โ€“2006 โ†’Income inequality (Gini index)32.9World # 107 / 2021 โ†’

Education & science

Education spending (% of GDP)5.4%World # 42 / 2022 โ†’Researchers per million people9,471.8 per million peopleWorld # 2 / 2023 โ†’R&D spending (% of GDP)4.9%World # 3 / 2023 โ†’Patent applications per million people3,603.5 per million peopleWorld # 1 / 2021 โ†’

Food & agriculture

Calorie supply per person3,430 kcal/dayWorld # 31 / 2023 โ†’Meat supply per person84 kg/person/yearWorld # 39 / 2023 โ†’Rice production4.8M tWorld # 18 / 2024 โ†’Wheat production37.4K tWorld # 89 / 2024 โ†’Coffee productionNo dataNo rank โ†’Coffee consumption per person3.9 kg/person/yearWorld # 5 / 2025/26 forecast โ†’

Environment & digital

Forest area64.1%World # 21 / 2023 โ†’Electricity use per person11,350 kWh/personWorld # 13 / 2024 โ†’COโ‚‚ emissions per person11.3 tWorld # 21 / 2024 โ†’Internet use97.9%World # 14 / 2024 โ†’Mobile subscriptions172.5 per 100 peopleWorld # 18 / 2024 โ†’

Safety & politics

Homicide rate0.5 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 174 / 2023 โ†’Road traffic death rate8.6 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 133 / 2019 โ†’Military spending (% of GDP)2.6%World # 41 / 2024 โ†’Women in parliament20.3%World # 124 / 2025 โ†’

Travel & culture

International tourist arrivals2.5MWorld # 58 / 2020 โ†’International tourism receiptsUS$ 11.8BWorld # 15 / 2020 โ†’World Heritage sites17 sitesWorld # 18 / 2026-07 โ†’

03 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY

Society, culture and industry.

Largest religious groupUnaffiliated2021 / 60%Main languageKoreanMain functional languageLeading electricity sourceCoal2025Top export categoryMachinery and electrical equipment2023Most mapped OSM sportRacket sports15,198 facilities countedWriting directionLeft to right with vertical writingKoreanLargest staple-food calorie sourceRice2023Current currencyWonKRWDriving sideRight-hand trafficSide of the road used by trafficCountry-name originNo dataNo comparison data for this country