Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled) in South Korea
South Korea: Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled) was 3.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Korea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Korea is 3.0%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Korea peaked at 7.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2025.
South Korea ranks 94th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.0% | — |
| 1992 | 6.8% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 6.3% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 6.0% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 5.9% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 5.8% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 5.5% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 4.8% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 4.8% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 4.8% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 4.3% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 3.9% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | -7.0% |
| 2024 | 3.1% | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 3.0% | -3.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 3.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 8.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 3.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.8%, 77% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.3% | 5.8% | 7.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 91 Armenia 3.3% compare
- 92 Iran 3.2% compare
- 93 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3.2% compare
- 95 Equatorial Guinea 2.9% compare
- 96 Eswatini 2.9% compare
- 97 North Macedonia 2.8% compare
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Korea?
- Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Korea was 3.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2025.
- How does South Korea rank for contributing family workers, total (% of total employment)?
- South Korea ranks 94th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Contributing family workers are those workers who hold "self-employment jobs" as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.