Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea
Korea: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 51.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea stood at 51.1%.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea peaked at 52.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 1960.
That places Korea 12th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.8% | — |
| 1961 | 22.4% | +2.8% |
| 1962 | 23.1% | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 23.8% | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 24.5% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 25.3% | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 26.2% | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 27.4% | +4.6% |
| 1968 | 28.8% | +5.1% |
| 1969 | 30.3% | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 31.9% | +5.3% |
| 1971 | 33.1% | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 34.2% | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 35.3% | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 36.6% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 37.9% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 38.9% | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 39.9% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 40.9% | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 41.9% | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 42.9% | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 43.7% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 44.5% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 45.3% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 46.2% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 47.3% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 48.2% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 49.2% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 50.2% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 51.2% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 52.3% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 52.5% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 52.2% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 52.0% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 51.8% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 51.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 51.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 51.2% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 51.2% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 51.2% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 51.2% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 51.1% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 50.9% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 50.9% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 51.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 50.9% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 50.8% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 50.5% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 50.4% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 50.3% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 50.1% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 50.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 50.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 50.0% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 50.0% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 50.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 50.2% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 50.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 50.4% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 50.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 50.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 50.9% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 51.1% | +0.4% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 51.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 28.3%, 1.8× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Korea's 51.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.6%, 1.8× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.4% | 21.8% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.1% | 31.9% | 41.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.9% | 42.9% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.7% | 51.2% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.9% | 50.4% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.1% | 50.0% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.7% | 50.2% | 51.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More climate change data for Korea
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Urban population 81.2% (2025)
- Urban population 41.95 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 51.68 million (2025)
- Population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Annual Net Emissions/Removals 668.25 (2024)
- Temperature change with respect to a baseline climatology 2.54 (2024)
- Per capita CO₂ emissions vs. per capita energy use 11.29 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Korea was 51.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 52.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 1960.
- How does Korea rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Korea ranks 12th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.