Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea
South Korea: Fertility rate: births per woman was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea is 0.72 live births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 40.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea peaked at 6.18 live births per woman in 1957 and was at its lowest, 0.72 live births per woman, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 234th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.14 live births per woman | 6.06 live births per woman | 6.18 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.1 live births per woman | 4.45 live births per woman | 5.99 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.49 live births per woman | 2.7 live births per woman | 4.46 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.98 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 2.73 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.62 live births per woman | 1.47 live births per woman | 1.74 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.22 live births per woman | 1.11 live births per woman | 1.47 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.14 live births per woman | 0.881 live births per woman | 1.27 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7738 live births per woman | 0.72 live births per woman | 0.812 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 231 Puerto Rico 0.941 live births per woman compare
- 232 Taiwan 0.87 live births per woman compare
- 233 Saint Barthelemy 0.801 live births per woman compare
- 235 Hong Kong 0.717 live births per woman compare
- 236 Macao 0.662 live births per woman compare
More reference data data for South Korea
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.004 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.937 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 1.12 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 76.2 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 70.99 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 0.8078 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 76.82 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.6393 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in South Korea was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6.18 live births per woman in 1957.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.72 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- South Korea ranks 234th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.