Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean
Ethnic groups:
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Languages:
Korean
Religions:
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note:
autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Population:
24,589,122 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 2,742,874/female 2,672,199)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
16.5% (male 2,060,206/female 1,998,436)
25-54 years:
44% (male 5,402,999/female 5,416,701)
55-64 years:
8.2% (male 942,529/female 1,064,570)
65 years and over:
9.3% (male 768,703/female 1,519,905) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 33 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
31.4 years
female:
34.7 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.535% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
14.51 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
9.12 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.51 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
81 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 82
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.21 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 76
male:
29.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
23.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.2 years
country comparison to the world: 152
male:
65.34 years
female:
73.24 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
2% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 189
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
3.29 physicians/1,000 population (2003)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
13.2 beds/1,000 population (2002)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 58% of population
rural: 60% of population
total: 59% of population
unimproved:
