Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea
South Korea: Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents was 59.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea is 59.6%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea peaked at 59.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 1950.
That places South Korea 8th out of 180 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 18.5% | — |
| 1955 | 20.7% | +12.1% |
| 1960 | 22.8% | +9.9% |
| 1965 | 29.4% | +29.1% |
| 1970 | 35.0% | +18.9% |
| 1975 | 39.1% | +11.7% |
| 1980 | 44.1% | +12.8% |
| 1985 | 48.3% | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 54.6% | +13.0% |
| 1995 | 58.0% | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 59.0% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 59.6% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 59.8% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 59.0% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 59.6% | +1.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 59.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 15.3%, 3.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 59.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21.4%, 2.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19.6% | 18.5% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 26.1% | 22.8% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 37.0% | 35.0% | 39.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 46.2% | 44.1% | 48.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 56.3% | 54.6% | 58.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 59.3% | 59.0% | 59.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 59.0% | 59.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 59.6% | 59.6% | 59.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South 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 cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea?
- Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents in South Korea was 59.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 59.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 1950.
- How does South Korea rank for share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents?
- South Korea ranks 8th out of 180 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the total population living in cities with 1 million or more people. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.