Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in South Korea
South Korea: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) was 63.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in South Korea, 1980–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in South Korea is 63.1%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in South Korea peaked at 63.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 53.7%, in 1984.
That places South Korea 55th out of 178 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 55.9% | — |
| 1981 | 55.9% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 56.1% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 55.3% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 53.7% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 54.3% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 54.9% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 56.5% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 57.0% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 58.0% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 58.5% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 59.1% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 59.4% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 59.1% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 60.1% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 60.7% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 60.8% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 60.9% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 56.4% | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 56.8% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 59.1% | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 59.6% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 60.5% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 59.8% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 60.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 60.4% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 60.5% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 60.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 59.2% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 59.7% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 60.0% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 60.2% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 60.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 60.9% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 60.9% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 61.2% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 60.3% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.4% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 62.9% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 63.1% | +0.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 63.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 59.3%, 1.1× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 63.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59.7%, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 55.8% | 53.7% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.2% | 56.4% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.0% | 59.1% | 60.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.5% | 59.3% | 61.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.1% | 60.3% | 63.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 52 Belize 63.4% compare
- 53 Burkina Faso 63.3% compare
- 54 Cameroon 63.2% compare
- 56 Ireland 63.1% compare
- 57 Seychelles 62.9% compare
- 58 Dominican Republic 62.9% 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 employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in South Korea?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in South Korea was 63.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 63.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.7% in 1984.
- How does South Korea rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
- South Korea ranks 55th out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.