Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in South Korea
South Korea: Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) was 16,840 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in South Korea, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea is 16,840, measured in 2027.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea peaked at 17,194 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 13,259, in 1991.
That places South Korea 33rd out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13,282 | — |
| 1991 | 13,259 | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 13,321 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 13,469 | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 13,382 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 13,440 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 13,551 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 13,609 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 14,429 | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 14,588 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 14,504 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 14,498 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 14,439 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 14,758 | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 14,620 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 14,855 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 15,042 | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 15,261 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 15,630 | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 16,038 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 16,175 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 16,285 | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 16,436 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 16,494 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 16,358 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 16,452 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 16,612 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 16,610 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 16,788 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 16,780 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 17,194 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 17,126 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 16,609 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 16,463 | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 16,436 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 16,539 | +0.6% |
| 2026 | 16,678 | +0.8% |
| 2027 | 16,840 | +1.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 16,840 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,814, 9.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 16,840 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,934, 8.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13,633 | 13,259 | 14,588 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,964 | 14,439 | 16,038 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,499 | 16,175 | 16,788 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,736 | 16,436 | 17,194 | 8 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- 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)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea?
- Persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea was 16,840 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 17,194 in 2020.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 13,259 in 1991.
- How does South Korea rank for persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
- South Korea ranks 33rd out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is persons outside the labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. Persons outside the labour force comprise all persons of working age who, during the specified reference period, were not in the labour force (that is, were not employed or unemployed). For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.