Births and deaths per year in Korea
Korea: Births and deaths per year was 345,503 deaths in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
345,503 deaths
Change on year
down 11.5%
World rank
32nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
931,034 deaths
in 1950
All-time low
234,535 deaths
in 2001
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Births and deaths per year in Korea, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2023, births and deaths per year in Korea stood at 345,503 deaths.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births and deaths per year in Korea peaked at 931,034 deaths in 1950 and was at its lowest, 234,535 deaths, in 2001.
That places Korea 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Births and deaths per year in Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 931,034 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 754,520 deaths | -19.0% |
| 1952 | 516,722 deaths | -31.5% |
| 1953 | 458,264 deaths | -11.3% |
| 1954 | 385,247 deaths | -15.9% |
| 1955 | 363,083 deaths | -5.8% |
| 1956 | 347,713 deaths | -4.2% |
| 1957 | 339,822 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1958 | 347,169 deaths | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 341,556 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 338,650 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1961 | 335,989 deaths | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 332,768 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 338,796 deaths | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 337,754 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 334,416 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 346,333 deaths | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 260,966 deaths | -24.6% |
| 1968 | 266,458 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 264,699 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 260,570 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 259,116 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 256,714 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 254,438 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 253,201 deaths | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 252,398 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 252,493 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 264,502 deaths | +4.8% |
| 1978 | 263,168 deaths | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 249,631 deaths | -5.1% |
| 1980 | 278,901 deaths | +11.7% |
| 1981 | 243,908 deaths | -12.5% |
| 1982 | 253,205 deaths | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 267,479 deaths | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 249,618 deaths | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 252,683 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 250,395 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 254,590 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 248,147 deaths | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 248,049 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 252,314 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 254,830 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 248,496 deaths | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 245,922 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 252,687 deaths | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 252,292 deaths | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 248,256 deaths | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 246,812 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 245,300 deaths | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 242,813 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 239,372 deaths | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 234,535 deaths | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 238,255 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 243,514 deaths | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 244,369 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 244,402 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 242,709 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 245,911 deaths | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 245,168 deaths | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 244,866 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 254,107 deaths | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 256,248 deaths | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 267,037 deaths | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 267,513 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 268,254 deaths | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 278,963 deaths | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 283,900 deaths | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 288,801 deaths | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 302,790 deaths | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 307,997 deaths | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 317,300 deaths | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 328,056 deaths | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 390,618 deaths | +19.1% |
| 2023 | 345,503 deaths | -11.5% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 345,503 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 16,691 deaths, 20.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Korea's 345,503 deaths is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10,067 deaths, 34.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Births and deaths per year in Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | -31.5% | 754,520 deaths | 516,722 deaths |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 478,513 deaths | 339,822 deaths | 931,034 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 315,683 deaths | 260,966 deaths | 346,333 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 256,623 deaths | 249,631 deaths | 264,502 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 254,698 deaths | 243,908 deaths | 278,901 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 248,972 deaths | 242,813 deaths | 254,830 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 242,310 deaths | 234,535 deaths | 245,911 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 277,561 deaths | 254,107 deaths | 307,997 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 345,369 deaths | 317,300 deaths | 390,618 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More health data for Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0124 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births and deaths per year in Korea?
- Births and deaths per year in Korea was 345,503 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest births and deaths per year recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 931,034 deaths in 1950.
- What is the lowest births and deaths per year recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 234,535 deaths in 2001.
- How does Korea rank for births and deaths per year?
- Korea ranks 32nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is births and deaths per year rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Births and deaths per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year.