South Korea Urban Population 1960-2023
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
- South Korea urban population for 2021 was 42,127,573, a 0.18% decline from 2020.
- South Korea urban population for 2020 was 42,201,956, a 0.12% increase from 2019.
- South Korea urban population for 2019 was 42,152,095, a 0.31% increase from 2018.
- South Korea urban population for 2018 was 42,020,672, a 0.38% increase from 2017.
| Similar Country Ranking |
| Country Name |
Urban Population |
| United States |
275,050,303 |
| Japan |
115,459,909 |
| Germany |
64,513,567 |
| United Kingdom |
56,656,654 |
| France |
55,041,156 |
| Argentina |
42,248,949 |
| Italy |
42,172,384 |
| South Korea |
42,127,573 |
| Spain |
38,433,310 |
| Canada |
31,229,095 |
| Saudi Arabia |
30,380,961 |
| Poland |
22,676,585 |
| Australia |
22,184,739 |
| Chile |
17,118,329 |
| Netherlands |
16,230,689 |
| Belgium |
11,374,657 |
| Sweden |
9,190,703 |
| Israel |
8,677,993 |
| Greece |
8,517,020 |
| UAE |
8,175,678 |
| Czech Republic |
7,796,754 |
| Hong Kong |
7,413,100 |
| Hungary |
7,014,911 |
| Portugal |
6,902,258 |
| Switzerland |
6,440,172 |
| Singapore |
5,453,566 |
| Austria |
5,283,472 |
| Denmark |
5,167,981 |
| Finland |
4,742,889 |
| Norway |
4,506,374 |
| New Zealand |
4,445,853 |
| Kuwait |
4,250,114 |
| Oman |
3,934,799 |
| Uruguay |
3,275,607 |
| Ireland |
3,216,796 |
| Puerto Rico |
3,054,454 |
| Panama |
2,992,584 |
| Slovak Republic |
2,931,708 |
| Qatar |
2,668,826 |
| Croatia |
2,256,663 |
| Lithuania |
1,911,545 |
| Bahrain |
1,311,407 |
| Latvia |
1,289,387 |
| Slovenia |
1,168,445 |
| Estonia |
923,866 |
| Cyprus |
831,814 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
812,644 |
| Macao |
686,607 |
| Luxembourg |
586,759 |
| Malta |
491,624 |
| Iceland |
349,960 |
| Brunei |
349,858 |
| Bahamas |
340,051 |
| New Caledonia |
194,938 |
| French Polynesia |
188,701 |
| Guam |
162,033 |
| Curacao |
135,666 |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) |
101,678 |
| Barbados |
87,864 |
| Andorra |
69,438 |
| Cayman Islands |
68,136 |
| Bermuda |
63,867 |
| Seychelles |
57,542 |
| Channel Islands |
53,552 |
| Greenland |
49,575 |
| Aruba |
46,734 |
| Northern Mariana Islands |
45,468 |
| Isle of Man |
44,723 |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) |
42,846 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
42,332 |
| Monaco |
36,686 |
| San Marino |
32,942 |
| Gibraltar |
32,669 |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
22,727 |
| Faroe Islands |
22,522 |
| British Virgin Islands |
15,225 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis |
14,713 |
| Palau |
14,686 |
| Liechtenstein |
5,649 |
| South Korea Urban Population - Historical Data |
| Year |
Population |
% of Total |
Change |
| 2021 |
42,127,573 |
81.41 |
-0.18% |
| 2020 |
42,201,956 |
81.41 |
0.12% |
| 2019 |
42,152,095 |
81.43 |
0.31% |
| 2018 |
42,020,672 |
81.46 |
0.38% |
| 2017 |
41,861,498 |
81.50 |
0.21% |
| 2016 |
41,774,264 |
81.56 |
0.31% |
| 2015 |
41,645,542 |
81.63 |
0.44% |
| 2014 |
41,463,573 |
81.71 |
0.54% |
| 2013 |
41,240,244 |
81.78 |
0.37% |
| 2012 |
41,089,082 |
81.85 |
0.44% |
| 2011 |
40,909,592 |
81.92 |
0.75% |
| 2010 |
40,602,657 |
81.94 |
0.62% |
| 2009 |
40,351,067 |
81.84 |
0.64% |
| 2008 |
40,093,884 |
81.73 |
0.88% |
| 2007 |
39,740,941 |
81.63 |
0.63% |
| 2006 |
39,490,771 |
81.53 |
0.75% |
| 2005 |
39,195,731 |
81.35 |
0.63% |
| 2004 |
38,947,802 |
81.00 |
0.83% |
| 2003 |
38,626,122 |
80.65 |
0.96% |
| 2002 |
38,258,247 |
80.30 |
1.03% |
| 2001 |
37,867,709 |
79.94 |
1.17% |
| 2000 |
37,428,328 |
79.62 |
1.13% |
| 1999 |
37,006,183 |
79.38 |
1.01% |
| 1998 |
36,633,453 |
79.15 |
1.03% |
| 1997 |
36,259,672 |
78.91 |
1.25% |
| 1996 |
35,810,625 |
78.66 |
1.49% |
| 1995 |
35,280,305 |
78.24 |
2.02% |
| 1994 |
34,575,766 |
77.45 |
2.05% |
| 1993 |
33,872,973 |
76.65 |
2.10% |
| 1992 |
33,169,705 |
75.82 |
2.16% |
| 1991 |
32,459,655 |
74.97 |
2.51% |
| 1990 |
31,656,393 |
73.84 |
3.31% |
| 1989 |
30,626,132 |
72.15 |
3.46% |
| 1988 |
29,585,374 |
70.39 |
3.61% |
| 1987 |
28,537,079 |
68.56 |
3.77% |
| 1986 |
27,480,866 |
66.68 |
3.74% |
| 1985 |
26,473,134 |
64.88 |
3.44% |
| 1984 |
25,577,374 |
63.30 |
3.81% |
| 1983 |
24,621,925 |
61.69 |
4.16% |
| 1982 |
23,619,800 |
60.06 |
4.34% |
| 1981 |
22,617,087 |
58.41 |
4.49% |
| 1980 |
21,623,805 |
56.72 |
4.67% |
| 1979 |
20,636,698 |
54.98 |
4.75% |
| 1978 |
19,679,806 |
53.23 |
4.88% |
| 1977 |
18,743,336 |
51.48 |
5.03% |
| 1976 |
17,823,527 |
49.72 |
5.05% |
| 1975 |
16,946,391 |
48.03 |
4.76% |
| 1974 |
16,159,311 |
46.58 |
4.87% |
| 1973 |
15,391,092 |
45.13 |
5.01% |
| 1972 |
14,639,182 |
43.69 |
5.21% |
| 1971 |
13,896,560 |
42.26 |
5.73% |
| 1970 |
13,123,306 |
40.70 |
7.09% |
| 1969 |
12,225,296 |
38.76 |
7.32% |
| 1968 |
11,362,681 |
36.85 |
7.54% |
| 1967 |
10,537,106 |
34.97 |
7.09% |
| 1966 |
9,815,880 |
33.35 |
5.55% |
| 1965 |
9,286,249 |
32.35 |
5.62% |
| 1964 |
8,779,189 |
31.37 |
5.74% |
| 1963 |
8,289,479 |
30.41 |
5.95% |
| 1962 |
7,811,004 |
29.46 |
6.07% |
| 1961 |
7,351,204 |
28.53 |
5.89% |
| 1960 |
6,930,929 |
27.71 |
% |
