Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49) in South Korea
South Korea: Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49) was 84.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Contraceptive prevalence, any method in South Korea, 1965–2021
Source: Household surveys, United Nations (UN), note: Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division. Measured in % of married women ages 15-49.
Analysis
In 2021, contraceptive prevalence, any method in South Korea stood at 84.2%.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, contraceptive prevalence, any method in South Korea peaked at 84.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 1965.
That places South Korea 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of married women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 16.0% | — |
| 1966 | 20.0% | +25.0% |
| 1971 | 24.2% | +21.2% |
| 1974 | 34.9% | +44.0% |
| 1976 | 44.2% | +26.6% |
| 1979 | 54.5% | +23.3% |
| 1982 | 57.7% | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 70.4% | +22.0% |
| 1988 | 77.1% | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 79.4% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 77.4% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 80.5% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 79.3% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 84.5% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 80.2% | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 79.6% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 77.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 79.6% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 82.3% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 84.2% | +2.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 84.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 66.8%, 1.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 84.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 60.1%, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.0% | 16.0% | 20.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 39.5% | 24.2% | 54.5% | 4 |
| 1980s | 68.4% | 57.7% | 77.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 79.1% | 77.4% | 80.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 80.7% | 79.3% | 84.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 79.7% | 77.1% | 82.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 84.2% | 84.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More health data for South 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 69 (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 contraceptive prevalence, any method in South Korea?
- Contraceptive prevalence, any method in South Korea was 84.2% in 2021, according to Household surveys, United Nations (UN), note: Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest contraceptive prevalence, any method recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 84.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest contraceptive prevalence, any method recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for contraceptive prevalence, any method?
- South Korea ranks 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2021.
- Is contraceptive prevalence, any method rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Household surveys, United Nations (UN), note: Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division, published as part of Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Contraceptive prevalence, any method is the percentage of married women ages 15-49 who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any method of contraception (modern or traditional). Modern methods of contraception include female and male sterilization, oral hormonal pills, the intra-uterine device (IUD), the male condom, injectables, the implant (including Norplant), vaginal barrier methods, the female condom and emergency contraception. Traditional methods of contraception include rhythm (e.g., fertility awareness based methods, periodic abstinence), withdrawal and other traditional methods.