Country profile
South Korea
South Korea ranks #29 of 215 for population, #43 of 209 for gdp per capita, #14 of 216 for life expectancy, across 25 open-data indicators.
People
Population
52M
people · 2024
Rank #29 of 215
Life expectancy
83.6
years · 2024
Rank #14 of 216
Poverty headcount
0.1%
% of population · 2021
Rank #169 of 186
Under-5 mortality
2.8
per 1,000 live births · 2024
Rank #228 of 244
Secondary school enrollment
98%
% net enrollment · 2017
Rank #8 of 232
Tobacco use
20%
% of adults · 2022
Rank #80 of 163
Calorie supply
3,430
kcal per person per day · 2023
Rank #29 of 189
Prosperity
Tourism arrivals
2,519,000
arrivals · 2020
Rank #58 of 203
GDP per capita
$36,239
current US$ · 2024
Rank #43 of 209
Inflation, consumer prices
2.32
annual % growth · 2024
Rank #128 of 195
Planet
Consumer Price Indices
123
index (2015=100) · 2025
Rank #152 of 210
Forest area
64.1%
% of land area · 2023
Rank #24 of 262
PM2.5 air pollution
25.9
micrograms per cubic meter · 2020
Rank #95 of 248
Protected areas
5.9%
% of territorial area · 2025
Rank #180 of 261
CO2 emissions per capita
11.3
tonnes per person · 2024
Rank #21 of 210
Fertilizer use
253
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #14 of 194
Pesticide use
13.5
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #25 of 193
Cereal yield
6.54
tonnes per hectare · 2024
Rank #22 of 182
Digital
Internet users
97.9%
% of population · 2024
Rank #14 of 213
Fixed broadband subscriptions
47.8
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #8 of 256
Mobile cellular subscriptions
173
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #18 of 262
Energy
Access to electricity
100%
% of population · 2023
Rank #59 of 215
Renewable electricity output
6.59%
% of electricity output · 2021
Rank #200 of 257
Energy use per person
69,922
kWh per person · 2024
Rank #15 of 210
Society
Electoral democracy index
0.82
index (0-1) · 2025
Rank #23 of 174
Countries ranked nearby
Sources and methodology
Each value is the latest available observation for South Korea; years differ by indicator. Ranks compare countries and territories with data, so totals vary. Read about our methods.
- World Bank Open Data: Tourism arrivals
- World Bank Open Data: Population
- World Bank Open Data: GDP per capita
- World Bank Open Data: Access to electricity
- World Bank Open Data: Internet users
- World Bank Open Data: Life expectancy
- World Bank Data360 / FAOSTAT: Consumer Price Indices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Forest area
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: PM2.5 air pollution
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Renewable electricity output
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Protected areas
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Fixed broadband subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Mobile cellular subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Inflation, consumer prices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Poverty headcount
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Under-5 mortality
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Secondary school enrollment
- Our World in Data: CO2 emissions per capita
- Our World in Data: Energy use per person
- Our World in Data: Electoral democracy index
- Our World in Data: Tobacco use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Fertilizer use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Pesticide use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Calorie supply
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Cereal yield