📜 A long story
South Korea, 1800 → today
South Korea grew from 9.4 million in 1800 to 51.8 million; a newborn can expect 60.8 more years of life than in 1908, and output per person is 51× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 9.4 million people lived in South Korea.
1900
9.69 million people.
about the same as in 1800
1950
19.8 million people.
2× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1948.
2023
51.8 million people, the latest year in this series.
2.6× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 2001.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1908
In 1908, a newborn in South Korea could expect to live 23.5 years, on average.
1950
22.2 years.
−1.3 years since 1908
Passed 40 years in 1938 (no data between 1933 and 1938, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
84.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+62 years since 1950
Passed 50 years in 1956.
Passed 60 years in 1967.
Passed 70 years in 1988.
Passed 80 years in 2008.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, South Korea produced about Int$816 per person, in 2011 prices.
1950
Int$998.
1.2× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1930.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 22% between 1941 and 1942 (Int$2,110 → Int$1,650).
2022
Int$41,300, the latest year in this series.
41× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1974.
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1984.
Reached 20 times the 1820 level in 1993.
Reached 50 times the 1820 level in 2022.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1905
In 1905, fossil fuels and industry in South Korea emitted about 0.000079 t of CO₂ per person.
1950
0.1 t.
1,405× the 1905 level
Reached twice the 1905 level, reached 5 times the 1905 level, reached 10 times the 1905 level in 1909 (no data between 1905 and 1909, so it may have happened earlier).
Reached 20 times the 1905 level in 1913.
Reached 50 times the 1905 level in 1923.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 100% between 1942 and 1945 (0.1 t → 0.00021 t).
2024
11.3 t, the latest year in this series.
102× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in South Korea had spent 0.01 years in school, on average.
1900
0.3 years.
+0.29 years since 1870
1950
4.6 years.
+4.3 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1925.
Passed 4 years in 1950.
2015
13.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+8.7 years since 1950
Passed 6 years in 1970.
Passed 8 years in 1980.
Passed 10 years in 1990.
Passed 12 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).