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Labor force — all countries

Labor force — South Korea

Labor force in South Korea in 2025 — 29,865,575 people. Ranked 23 in the world out of 182. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 58.2%.

2025 29.87M people +0.1% vs 2024
World rank 23of 182
Period maximum 29.87M people2025
Period minimum 18.88M people1990

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — South Korea, 1990–202515M20M25M30M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 18,881,099 people1991: 19,463,523 people1992: 19,901,460 people1993: 20,236,410 people1994: 20,818,283 people1995: 21,302,160 people1996: 21,746,859 people1997: 22,230,614 people1998: 21,862,558 people1999: 22,101,554 people2000: 22,567,537 people2001: 22,938,753 people2002: 23,347,640 people2003: 23,376,928 people2004: 23,859,038 people2005: 23,953,153 people2006: 24,205,394 people2007: 24,444,660 people2008: 24,606,329 people2009: 24,664,533 people2010: 24,998,081 people2011: 25,497,708 people2012: 25,940,388 people2013: 26,423,747 people2014: 27,115,956 people2015: 27,531,028 people2016: 27,791,833 people2017: 28,106,147 people2018: 28,257,879 people2019: 28,561,856 people2020: 28,369,827 people2021: 28,560,792 people2022: 29,201,402 people2023: 29,587,631 people2024: 29,835,657 people2025: 29,865,575 people
Change over the period: +10.98M (+58.18%) Average annual rate: 1.32 %

Comparison, 2025

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

South Korea 29.87M people
World 3.74B people
East Asia & Pacific 1.28B people
Eastern Asia computed 891M people
High-income countries computed 716M people
Labor force — South Korea, by year South Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 29.87M +29,918 +0.1%
2024 29.84M +248,026 +0.84%
2023 29.59M +386,229 +1.32%
2022 29.2M +640,610 +2.24%
2021 28.56M +190,965 +0.67%
2020 28.37M −192,029 −0.67%
2019 28.56M +303,977 +1.08%
2018 28.26M +151,732 +0.54%
2017 28.11M +314,314 +1.13%
2016 27.79M +260,805 +0.95%
2015 27.53M +415,072 +1.53%
2014 27.12M +692,209 +2.62%
2013 26.42M +483,359 +1.86%
2012 25.94M +442,680 +1.74%
2011 25.5M +499,627 +2%
2010 25M +333,548 +1.35%
2009 24.66M +58,204 +0.24%
2008 24.61M +161,669 +0.66%
2007 24.44M +239,266 +0.99%
2006 24.21M +252,241 +1.05%
2005 23.95M +94,115 +0.39%
2004 23.86M +482,110 +2.06%
2003 23.38M +29,288 +0.13%
2002 23.35M +408,887 +1.78%
2001 22.94M +371,216 +1.64%
2000 22.57M +465,983 +2.11%
1999 22.1M +238,996 +1.09%
1998 21.86M −368,056 −1.66%
1997 22.23M +483,755 +2.22%
1996 21.75M +444,699 +2.09%
1995 21.3M +483,877 +2.32%
1994 20.82M +581,873 +2.88%
1993 20.24M +334,950 +1.68%
1992 19.9M +437,937 +2.25%
1991 19.46M +582,424 +3.08%
1990 18.88M — —

Eastern Asia, 2025

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

CN China 768M JP Japan 69.48M KR South Korea 29.87M KP North Korea 17.7M HK Hong Kong 3.79M MN Mongolia 1.46M MO Macao 401,572
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.

Other indicators for South Korea

Labor Labor productivity

How much output one employed person creates in a year — in constant PPP dollars.

South Korea by year Labor Female share of the labor force

What part of the labor force of a country is made up of women.

South Korea by year Labor Labor force participation rate

What share of the population aged 15 and over works or looks for work.

South Korea by year Labor Employment-to-population ratio

The share of the population aged 15 and over that actually works.

South Korea by year
All indicators for South Korea