Adoption of communication technologies in South Korea

South Korea: Adoption of communication technologies was 21.29 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
21.29 million
Change on year
down 3.9%
World rank
11th
of 212 countries
All-time high
30.33 million
in 2013
All-time low
220,635
in 1965
Years of data
60
1965–2024

Adoption of communication technologies in South Korea, 1965–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M196519942024

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, adoption of communication technologies in South Korea stood at 21.29 million.

That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 27.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adoption of communication technologies in South Korea peaked at 30.33 million in 2013 and was at its lowest, 220,635, in 1965.

South Korea ranks 11th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 220,635 220,635 220,635 5
1970s 1.04 million 481,207 2.29 million 10
1980s 6.52 million 2.70 million 11.79 million 10
1990s 18.21 million 13.28 million 25.62 million 10
2000s 24.67 million 22.43 million 26.89 million 10
2010s 28.23 million 24.73 million 30.33 million 10
2020s 22.67 million 21.29 million 23.86 million 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 8 Iran 28.23 million compare
  2. 9 United Kingdom 23.77 million compare
  3. 10 Brazil 22.55 million compare
  4. 12 Russia 20.82 million compare
  5. 13 Italy 20.30 million compare
  6. 14 Spain 18.23 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is adoption of communication technologies in South Korea?
Adoption of communication technologies in South Korea was 21.29 million in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest adoption of communication technologies recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 30.33 million in 2013.
What is the lowest adoption of communication technologies recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 220,635 in 1965.
How does South Korea rank for adoption of communication technologies?
South Korea ranks 11th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is adoption of communication technologies rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Adoption of communication technologies. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Adoption of communication technologies
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 11,803 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed