Labor force, total, per capita in South Korea
South Korea: Labor force, total, per capita was 0.5778 units per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total, per capita in South Korea, 1990–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 0.5778 units per person for labor force, total, per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total, per capita in South Korea peaked at 0.5778 units per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.4404 units per person, in 1990.
South Korea ranks 11th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total, per capita in South Korea, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.4404 units per person | — |
| 1991 | 0.4495 units per person | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 0.4549 units per person | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 0.4579 units per person | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.4663 units per person | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 0.4724 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 0.4777 units per person | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 0.4838 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 0.4723 units per person | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4741 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.4801 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 0.4842 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.49 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 0.4881 units per person | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 0.4962 units per person | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 0.4971 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 0.4997 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 0.5021 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 0.5016 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.5002 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.5045 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.5106 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.5167 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.524 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.5343 units per person | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5397 units per person | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 0.5426 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.5472 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 0.5478 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.5518 units per person | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.5473 units per person | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 0.5517 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 0.5651 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 0.5722 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 0.5765 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 0.5778 units per person | +0.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.5778 units per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5147 units per person, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.5778 units per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.5099 units per person, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4649 units per person | 0.4404 units per person | 0.4838 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4939 units per person | 0.4801 units per person | 0.5021 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5319 units per person | 0.5045 units per person | 0.5518 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5651 units per person | 0.5473 units per person | 0.5778 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More education data for South Korea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233,046 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 76 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 434,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 412,067 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0484 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total, per capita in South Korea?
- Labor force, total, per capita in South Korea was 0.5778 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest labor force, total, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5778 units per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total, per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4404 units per person in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for labor force, total, per capita?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total, per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Labor force, total, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Labor force, total ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Labor force, total International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.