placestats

Last European coloniser: Never a European colony · Largest religious group: Religiously Unaffiliated. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Korea, Rep.

Against high income countries, Korea, Rep. ranks 5th of 80 on infrastructure and 62nd of 83 on environment. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Korea, Rep. with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Korea, Rep. reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+1.0535 of 17933 of 58moderate +0.53
Health score 2024+0.7210 of 1938 of 63moderate +0.32
Education score 2024+1.0319 of 19918 of 72proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+0.4835 of 11032 of 49high +0.80
Equality score 2021+0.5446 of 16526 of 47high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+1.725 of 2105 of 80proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024+0.4196 of 18643 of 58moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.52167 of 21362 of 83moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.8230 of 19528 of 67high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Korea, Rep., grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Public order spending1.23%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate0.477per 100,000 population2023higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance22.8%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important10.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer19%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions51.7%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Divorce rate1.8divorces per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Births outside marriage2.95%% of live births2021no agreed direction
Women's age at first marriage30.8years2020no agreed direction
Marriage rate3.7marriages per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Children with one parent8.62%% of children aged 0-172020no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated48.3%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share32%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share0.31%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households9.73%% of households2020no agreed direction
One-person households31.8%% of households2020no agreed direction
Women in a union49.8%% of women aged 15-492015no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)4.36marriages per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)1.79divorces per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction

demography

Median age44.5years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing33.4years2023no agreed direction
Population51,684,564people2025no agreed direction
Population growth-0.129%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization81.2%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+20.3%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1410.2%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate0.748births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate4.7per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration65,731people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population3.5%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

Public social spending15.3%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Family benefits spending1.65%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Old-age spending3.62%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Aid given0.203%% of GNI2025no agreed direction
Government spending per capita$21,401current international dollars2024no agreed direction
Corporate tax rate27.5%% of profit2018no agreed direction
HDI0.937index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.857index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$55,697international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$56,424international $2025higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$37,470US$2025higher is better
GDP growth1.01%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation2.12%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness86.4%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows0.844%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Tax revenue13.3%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption17.6%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Government expense28.3%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Military spending2.56%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture5.1%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

PISA maths527PISA points2022higher is better
PISA reading515PISA points2022higher is better
PISA science528PISA points2022higher is better
Primary completion100%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling16.6years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling12.7years2023higher is better
Education spending5.41%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Primary enrollment101%% gross2024higher is better
Secondary enrollment96.3%% gross2024higher is better
Tertiary enrollment112%% gross2024higher is better
Compulsory schooling9years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary0.0557%% of primary-age children2024higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio16.3pupils per teacher2017higher is worse
Researchers9,472per million people2023higher is better

environment

Recycling rate58.1%% of municipal waste2014higher is better
CO2 per capita11.4t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area64.1%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land16.1%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land17.7%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender wage gap36.7%% of men's median earnings2016higher is worse
Gender Inequality Index0.038index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.959ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.878index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers18.8%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament20.3%% of seats2025higher is better

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index64index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)2rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)2rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Trust in government29.5%% of respondents2024higher is better
Pre-trial detainee share35%% of prisoners2024higher is worse
Refugees originating0.275per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.819index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.739index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.551index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.935index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type3regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.156index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.933index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.839index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.911index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.804index (0-1)2025higher is better
Control of corruption0.85index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law1.12index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness1.49index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality1.01index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability0.808index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability0.639index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy83.6years2024higher is better
Infant mortality2.3per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality2.8per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending8.68%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Suicide rate27.5per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds12.8per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Basic water access100%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation99.7%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting1.8%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility0.532births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality4per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance100%% of births2015higher is better
Alcohol consumption7.79litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use18.6%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths8.6per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians2.61per 1,000 people2022higher is better
DTP3 immunisation97%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
Tuberculosis incidence35per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality6.9%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women15.7%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending33.7%% of health spending2024higher is worse
Undernourishment2.5%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity5.4%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity8.37%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index88index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Market-income Gini0.396index, 0 to 12022higher is worse
Redistribution18.2%% reduction in the Gini2022no agreed direction
Gini index32.9index (0-100)2021higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate0.1%% of population2021higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users97.9%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions173per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population4.5%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband47.8per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Active labour market spending0.423%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Unemployment benefit spending2.37%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Retirement age, men72.3years2018no agreed direction
Retirement age, women72.3years2018no agreed direction
Hours worked2,069hours per year2016no agreed direction
Informal employment29.1%% of employment2019higher is worse
Unemployment2.68%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation56.8%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation72%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Vulnerable employment17.7%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust32.9%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness89.1%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction6.04score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Korea, Rep.

Also in East Asia & Pacific: American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong SAR, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Dem. People's Rep., Lao PDR, Macao SAR, China, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Mongolia, Myanmar, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

Also high income, in other regions: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Austria, Bahamas, The, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, and more on the full list of countries.