Republic of Korea Population Pyramid (1950–2100)
Republic of Korea in 2026
As of 2026, the Republic of Korea counts an estimated 51,600,388 inhabitants. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 0.6%, up from 51,297,839 in 2016.
The median age is 47.3 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 14.3 children under 15 and 31.2 people aged 65 or over. The pyramid is constrictive: cohorts of children are smaller than those of their parents, reflecting low fertility and an ageing population.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
The fertility rate of the Republic of Korea was 0.72 births per woman in 2023, under the 2.1 needed to replace each generation.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
Life expectancy at birth was 83.4 years in 2023: 86.4 for women and 80.6 for men.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
1,618,971 immigrants live in Republic of Korea, 3.1% of the population.
| China | 756,684 |
| Viet Nam | 260,609 |
| Thailand | 199,861 |
| Uzbekistan | 59,361 |
| United States of America | 53,226 |
2,028,575 people born in Republic of Korea live in other countries.
| United States of America | 1,083,174 |
| Japan | 393,944 |
| Canada | 151,409 |
| Australia | 114,174 |
| China | 65,073 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Korea | 51,600,388 | 47.3 | |
| Dem. People's Republic of Korea | 26,633,691 | 37.8 | |
| Taiwan | 23,011,293 | 46.4 | |
| China, Hong Kong SAR | 7,378,602 | 49.0 | |
| Mongolia | 3,556,798 | 27.9 |





