Labor force, total in South Korea
South Korea: Labor force, total was 29.87 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in South Korea, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, total in South Korea is 29.87 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in South Korea peaked at 29.87 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 18.88 million, in 1990.
That places South Korea 23rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.85 million | 18.88 million | 22.23 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.80 million | 22.57 million | 24.66 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.02 million | 25.00 million | 28.56 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.24 million | 28.37 million | 29.87 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Population ages 0-14 10.2% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.5% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 100.9% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 173,133 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 100.8% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 101.0% (2024)
- Labor force, female 44.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9982 GPI (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in South Korea?
- Labor force, total in South Korea was 29.87 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 29.87 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.88 million in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for labor force, total?
- South Korea ranks 23rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. 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 (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.