Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 90.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Republic of Korea recorded 90.1% for share of population living in urban and rural areas in 2020.
The figure is up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea peaked at 90.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 71.1%, in 1950.
Republic of Korea ranks 32nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 71.1% | — |
| 1955 | 73.6% | +3.6% |
| 1960 | 77.3% | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 79.9% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 82.0% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 83.8% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 84.5% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 85.3% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 86.7% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 87.7% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 88.6% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 89.4% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 90.0% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 90.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 90.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 72.3% | 71.1% | 73.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 78.6% | 77.3% | 79.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 82.9% | 82.0% | 83.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 84.9% | 84.5% | 85.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 87.2% | 86.7% | 87.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 89.0% | 88.6% | 89.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 90.1% | 90.0% | 90.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 90.1% | 90.1% | 90.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 29 Jersey 90.8% compare
- 30 United Arab Emirates 90.3% compare
- 31 Western Sahara 90.1% compare
- 33 Djibouti 89.9% compare
- 34 Saint Martin (French part) 89.7% compare
- 35 Lebanon 89.6% compare
More reference data data for Republic of Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea?
- Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Republic of Korea was 90.1% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 90.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.1% in 1950.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
- Republic of Korea ranks 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.