Pharmacists in South Korea

South Korea: Pharmacists was 42,722 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
42,722
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
16th
of 166 countries
All-time high
54,381
in 2003
All-time low
29,876
in 2004
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Pharmacists in South Korea, 2000–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k2000201120232000: 50.6k2001: 51.9k2002: 53.2k2003: 54.4k2004: 29.9k2005: 30.6k2006: 31.2k2007: 31.3k2008: 31.6k2009: 32.0k2010: 32.2k2011: 33.6k2012: 32.6k2013: 32.5k2014: 32.6k2015: 33.2k2016: 33.9k2017: 37.0k2018: 37.8k2019: 38.9k2020: 39.8k2021: 40.4k2022: 41.6k2023: 42.7k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 42,722 for pharmacists in 2023.

The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 31.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pharmacists in South Korea peaked at 54,381 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 29,876, in 2004.

That places South Korea 16th out of 166 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Pharmacists in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Pharmacists (number) in South Korea, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 50,623 —
2001 51,872 +2.5%
2002 53,168 +2.5%
2003 54,381 +2.3%
2004 29,876 -45.1%
2005 30,600 +2.4%
2006 31,237 +2.1%
2007 31,265 +0.1%
2008 31,635 +1.2%
2009 31,994 +1.1%
2010 32,152 +0.5%
2011 33,643 +4.6%
2012 32,560 -3.2%
2013 32,537 -0.1%
2014 32,645 +0.3%
2015 33,206 +1.7%
2016 33,946 +2.2%
2017 36,980 +8.9%
2018 37,837 +2.3%
2019 38,941 +2.9%
2020 39,765 +2.1%
2021 40,388 +1.6%
2022 41,614 +3.0%
2023 42,722 +2.7%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 42,722 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5,945, 7.2× the median. (56 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 42,722 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,162, 10.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Pharmacists in South 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.

YearChange FromTo
2004 -45.1% 54,381 29,876

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 39,665 29,876 54,381 10
2010s 34,445 32,152 38,941 10
2020s 41,122 39,765 42,722 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 13 Pakistan 58,234 compare
  2. 14 Germany 56,219 compare
  3. 15 Canada 46,334 compare
  4. 17 Turkey 40,610 compare
  5. 18 Syria 37,261 compare
  6. 19 Saudi Arabia 36,810 compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More health data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is pharmacists in South Korea?
Pharmacists in South Korea was 42,722 in 2023, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest pharmacists recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 54,381 in 2003.
What is the lowest pharmacists recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 29,876 in 2004.
How does South Korea rank for pharmacists?
South Korea ranks 16th out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
Is pharmacists rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Pharmacists (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Pharmacists in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/pharmacists-number/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Pharmacists (number)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
167 places, 3,402 data points, 1971–2024
Last refreshed