South Korea is facing a critical demographic shift, becoming a super-aged society with significant implications for its future.
South Korea has transitioned into a super-aged society, with one in five individuals aged 65 or older. This age group has reached 10.24 million, constituting 20% of the country’s 51 million population. Notably, 22% of South Korean women are aged 65 or older, while the proportion of men in this age group is nearly 18%.
South Korea is currently contending with its well-known low birth rates, which plummeted to a record low of 0.72 in 2023, the lowest in the world. To maintain a stable population, South Korea requires a fertility rate of 2.1, highlighting the need for measures to encourage childbirth.
According to Worldometer’s analysis of the most recent United Nations data, the population of the Republic of Korea was 51,693,059 as of Wednesday, December 25, 2024. The estimated population of South Korea in mid-2024 is 51,717,590.
Half of all nations are experiencing below-replacement fertility rates
The worldwide fertility rate is 2.25 and is anticipated to reach the replacement level of 2.1 by 2036.
Over half of all nations are already experiencing below-replacement fertility rates, while 63 countries, comprising 28 percent of the global population, are believed to have already reached their population peak. These countries include China, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Spain, and Thailand.
China’s population is expected to decrease by more than half, from 1.4 billion today to 633 million by 2100, returning to levels not seen since the late 1950s.
While challenging, this global population decline also presents substantial positive implications for sustainability, offering hope for a more balanced future. However, even though a reduction in population due to voluntarily low fertility rates is considered a beneficial trend, governments still primarily view it as a challenge to economic growth.
