South Korea: Population density

The latest value from 2021 is 530 people per square km, a decline from 531 people per square km in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 456 people per square km, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for South Korea from 1961 to 2021 is 433 people per square km. The minimum value, 267 people per square km, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 531 people per square km was recorded in 2020. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.