Cities: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects 2025 (CC BY 3.0 IGO), size by population · sources and licences
Largest cities
49 cities of 50,000+
#
City
Population 2025
1975
2050*
1
Seoul (capital)
22,490,482
10,079,046
21,225,404
2
Busan
3,263,221
2,426,083
2,742,944
3
Daegu
2,334,446
1,509,252
1,968,877
4
Daejeon
1,517,299
453,648
1,353,972
5
Gwangju
1,441,495
546,397
1,297,682
6
Ulsan
881,858
331,253
723,568
7
Cheongju-si
690,333
184,435
612,122
8
Changwon
665,772
697,511
547,493
9
Jeonju
637,082
262,685
570,907
10
Cheonan-si
428,378
59,301
383,153
Cities as urban centres under the UN Degree of Urbanisation, not municipal boundaries. * UN projection.
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO.Sources and licences
Over time
vs world and Asia median
Life expectancy at birth
years · 1960-2024
South Korea
World
Asia median
Fertility rate
1960-2024
South Korea
World
Asia median
GDP per capita
US$ · 1960-2025
South Korea
World
Asia median
Unemployment rate (modelled ILO estimate)
% · 1991-2025
South Korea
World
Asia median
Individuals using the internet
% · 2005-2024
South Korea
World
Asia median
CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding land use)
t · 1970-2024
South Korea
World
Asia median
Population outlook
UN World Population Prospects
Population, 2026
51.6 mn
2050: 45.1 mn · 2100: 21.8 mn
peak 51.9 mn in 2020
Median age
46.2 years
2050: 56.7 years
Aged 65 and over
21.4 %
2050: 39.7 %
Dependency ratio
46
per 100 aged 15-64 · 2050: 91
Age structure
% of population · men left, women right
* UN projection, medium variant. Scale is the same for all years.
Population, 1950-2100
millions
Median age, 1950-2100
years
People aged 65 and over, 1950-2100
% of population
Dependency ratio, 1950-2100
per 100 people aged 15-64
Estimates until 2023, then the UN medium-variant projection (dashed).
The dependency ratio is the number of children (0-14) and older people (65+) per 100 people
of working age (15-64). Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, licensed under
CC BY 3.0 IGO;
ratios and shares computed by StatsNode. Sources and licences.
World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), ILO modelled estimates, FAO (FAOSTAT), UNDP (Human Development Report),
UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database, Ember (electricity), the Global Carbon Project (CO₂) and the
UN World Population Prospects and World Urbanization Prospects, under CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 IGO. Many World Bank series come from other
organisations (ILO, IMF, WHO); each indicator page names the original source.
Sources and licences.
Ranks are computed in the latest year for which at least half of the countries have
a value. Where less is better (unemployment, emissions), the lowest value ranks first.
The continent figure is the median of its countries.
