South Korea vs United States: Fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate
South Korea
57.3%
in 2025
United States
57.3%
in 2025
South Korea rank
76th
United States rank
78th
Fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 57.3% against 57.3% in United States, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United States ahead.
South Korea ranks 76th and United States ranks 78th of 194 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.7% | 39.0% | 9.3% | United States |
| 1970s | 38.0% | 46.8% | 8.9% | United States |
| 1980s | 39.5% | 51.5% | 12.0% | United States |
| 1990s | 32.6% | 57.5% | 24.9% | United States |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 59.5% | 9.1% | United States |
| 2010s | 51.9% | 57.4% | 5.5% | United States |
| 2020s | 55.4% | 56.9% | 1.5% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 57.3% against 57.3% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate between South Korea and United States?
- 0.0%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate?
- South Korea ranks 76th and United States ranks 78th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Fertility rate versus female labor force participation rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are economically active (employed or unemployed). Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.