Population aged 15–64 — all countries

Population aged 15–64 — South Korea

Population aged 15–64 in South Korea in 2025 — 35,902,741 people. Ranked 28 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 158.3%.

2025 35.9M people −1.12% vs 2024
World rank 28of 217
Period maximum 37.57M people2018
Period minimum 13.9M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 15–64 — South Korea, 1960–202510M20M30M40M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 13,897,126 people1962: 14,458,259 people1964: 15,005,534 people1966: 15,681,093 people1968: 16,535,957 people1970: 17,569,487 people1972: 18,608,353 people1974: 19,755,609 people1976: 21,106,180 people1978: 22,445,140 people1980: 23,690,768 people1982: 24,885,785 people1984: 26,132,831 people1986: 27,385,613 people1988: 28,597,516 people1990: 29,703,306 people1992: 30,681,216 people1994: 31,573,033 people1996: 32,546,391 people1998: 33,313,686 people2000: 33,812,395 people2002: 34,167,612 people2004: 34,461,353 people2006: 34,818,893 people2008: 35,435,085 people2010: 35,985,989 people2012: 36,700,392 people2014: 37,184,656 people2016: 37,533,180 people2018: 37,571,156 people2020: 37,354,839 people2022: 36,739,762 people2024: 36,307,699 people2025: 35,902,741 people
Change over the period: +22.01M (+158.35%) Average annual rate: 1.47 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Korea

South Korea 35.9M people
World 5.36B people
East Asia & Pacific 1.64B people
Eastern Asia computed 1.11B people
High-income countries computed 895M people
Population aged 15–64 — South Korea, by year South Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 35.9M −404,958 −1.12%
2024 36.31M −250,102 −0.68%
2023 36.56M −181,961 −0.5%
2022 36.74M −296,358 −0.8%
2021 37.04M −318,719 −0.85%
2020 37.35M −188,170 −0.5%
2019 37.54M −28,147 −0.07%
2018 37.57M +20,221 +0.05%
2017 37.55M +17,755 +0.05%
2016 37.53M +148,672 +0.4%
2015 37.38M +199,852 +0.54%
2014 37.18M +249,692 +0.68%
2013 36.93M +234,572 +0.64%
2012 36.7M +317,946 +0.87%
2011 36.38M +396,457 +1.1%
2010 35.99M +264,439 +0.74%
2009 35.72M +286,465 +0.81%
2008 35.44M +367,841 +1.05%
2007 35.07M +248,351 +0.71%
2006 34.82M +244,173 +0.71%
2005 34.57M +113,367 +0.33%
2004 34.46M +137,137 +0.4%
2003 34.32M +156,604 +0.46%
2002 34.17M +157,468 +0.46%
2001 34.01M +197,749 +0.58%
2000 33.81M +236,534 +0.7%
1999 33.58M +262,175 +0.79%
1998 33.31M +324,154 +0.98%
1997 32.99M +443,141 +1.36%
1996 32.55M +485,380 +1.51%
1995 32.06M +487,978 +1.55%
1994 31.57M +446,392 +1.43%
1993 31.13M +445,425 +1.45%
1992 30.68M +476,684 +1.58%
1991 30.2M +501,226 +1.69%
1990 29.7M +541,407 +1.86%
1989 29.16M +564,383 +1.97%
1988 28.6M +590,297 +2.11%
1987 28.01M +621,606 +2.27%
1986 27.39M +632,709 +2.37%
1985 26.75M +620,073 +2.37%
1984 26.13M +634,275 +2.49%
1983 25.5M +612,771 +2.46%
1982 24.89M +586,585 +2.41%
1981 24.3M +608,432 +2.57%
1980 23.69M +618,151 +2.68%
1979 23.07M +627,477 +2.8%
1978 22.45M +660,190 +3.03%
1977 21.78M +678,770 +3.22%
1976 21.11M +690,975 +3.38%
1975 20.42M +659,596 +3.34%
1974 19.76M +598,476 +3.12%
1973 19.16M +548,780 +2.95%
1972 18.61M +513,389 +2.84%
1971 18.09M +525,477 +2.99%
1970 17.57M +545,137 +3.2%
1969 17.02M +488,393 +2.95%
1968 16.54M +453,242 +2.82%
1967 16.08M +401,622 +2.56%
1966 15.68M +357,814 +2.34%
1965 15.32M +317,745 +2.12%
1964 15.01M +280,050 +1.9%
1963 14.73M +267,225 +1.85%
1962 14.46M +266,818 +1.88%
1961 14.19M +294,315 +2.12%
1960 13.9M

Eastern Asia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The population aged 15 to 64 inclusive — the group that international statistics treat as working age regardless of the national retirement age. Its growth relative to the other groups is called the demographic dividend: it gives a country a period when workers are many and dependents are few. That period is finite, and this series shows which countries are passing through it now and which have already passed it.

Important: The 15–64 bounds are a convention and do not coincide with the retirement age in any country. This is not the number of people employed — the labor force indicator covers that.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.