Total population51,084,159people
Households24,505,258households
Average age45.7yrs
Sex ratioMale25,412,088peopleFemale25,672,071people49.7%50.3%
Population change
Change over time
4-year trendUnit: people
51,558,441 in 202251,084,159 in 2026
Down 0.9% over the past 4 years.
Population structure
Population by age
As of September 2026Population by age and sex
Unit: people
Male 25,412,088Female 25,672,071
Age structure
Unit: %
Youth 10.1%Working age 67.8%Seniors 22.1%
50s is the largest group, at 8,587,080 people.
Population ranking
Population by region
As of September 2026| Region | Share | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeonggi | 13,773,918 | 27% | 44 yrs |
| Seoul | 9,281,625 | 18.2% | 45.1 yrs |
| Busan | 3,229,467 | 6.3% | 47.6 yrs |
| Gyeongsangnam-do | 3,191,645 | 6.2% | 47.2 yrs |
| Incheon | 3,066,185 | 6% | 44.7 yrs |
| Gyeongsangbuk-do | 2,492,677 | 4.9% | 49.2 yrs |
| Daegu | 2,346,277 | 4.6% | 46.3 yrs |
| Chungcheongnam-do | 2,138,938 | 4.2% | 46.7 yrs |
| Jeollanam-do | 1,771,845 | 3.5% | 49.5 yrs |
| Jeonbuk-do | 1,716,965 | 3.4% | 48.5 yrs |
| Chungcheongbuk-do | 1,601,367 | 3.1% | 46.6 yrs |
| Gangwon | 1,506,662 | 2.9% | 48.6 yrs |
| Daejeon | 1,442,838 | 2.8% | 44.3 yrs |
| Gwangju | 1,383,958 | 2.7% | 44.2 yrs |
| Ulsan | 1,086,373 | 2.1% | 44.9 yrs |
| Jeju-do | 662,681 | 1.3% | 45.2 yrs |
| Sejong | 390,738 | 0.8% | 39.5 yrs |
The top three areas hold 51.5% of the population of Korea.
Frequently asked questionsβ
Korea has 51,084,159 residents as of September 2026., 70,822 fewer than a year earlier.
Gyeonggi, home to 13,773,918 residents (27.0% of Korea).
It is 45.7 as of September 2026. Among its regions, Sejong is youngest at 39.5 and Jeollanam-do oldest at 49.5.
It fell 0.9% over 4 years, from 51,558,441 in 2022 to 51,084,159 in September 2026.
This is resident registration data from Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Figures are as of the end of September 2026 and are updated monthly. The data is open under KOGL Type 1.
Resident registration counts people at their registered address. The census counts them where they actually live. The gap is widest in university towns and industrial areas, where many people never change their registered address.
Sources π
- Resident registration data, Ministry of the Interior and SafetyKOGL Type 1 Β· as of September 2026 Β· updated monthly