International Rankings of Korea South 2021, country comparisons

This table lists the international rankings of Korea, South, in all categories that are published in the CIA World Factbook, and those that we derived from them. Additional international rankings of Korea, South, can be found in the main country ranks menu.
For a definition of each entry, visit the Definitions page.

Ranked Data	Rank	Value	Year
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	11	42.59	2019
Broadband - fixed subscriptions - total	10	21.906 million	0
Internet users - percent of population	16	95.9 %	2018
Internet users - total	18	49.310 million	0
Telephones - fixed lines - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	18	48.07	2019
Telephones - fixed lines - total subscriptions	11	24.727 million	0
Telephones - mobile cellular - subscriptions per 100 inhabitants	53	133.93	2019
Telephones - mobile cellular - total subscriptions	24	68.893 million	0
Economy
Budget - expenditures	14	335.800 billion US Dollars	2017
Budget - revenues	14	357.100 billion US Dollars	2017
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)	20	1.4 % of GDP	0
Ease of Doing Business Index scores - Enforcement score	2	84.1	2020
Ease of Doing Business Index scores - Overall score	4	84	2020
Ease of Doing Business Index scores - Starting a Business score	21	93.4	2020
Ease of Doing Business Index scores - Trading score	20	92.5	2020
GDP (official exchange rate)	13	1.647 trillion US Dollars	2019
GDP - composition by end use - exports of goods and services	74	43.1 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - government consumption	82	15.3 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - household consumption	156	48.1 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - imports of goods and services	69	37.7 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in fixed capital	23	31.1 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by end use - investment in inventories	55	0 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - agriculture	129	2.2 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - industry	29	39.3 % of GDP	2017
GDP - composition by sector of origin - services	104	58.3 % of GDP	2017
Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10%	3	48.5 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	2015
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%	6	6.8 % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population	0
Industrial production growth rate	44	4.6 %	2017
Labor force	21	26.839 million US Dollars	2020
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture	114	4.8 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - industry	39	24.6 %	0
Labor force - by occupation - services	47	70.6 %	2017
Population below poverty line	118	14.4	2016
Public debt	61	N/A % of GDP	2021
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)	14	2.211 trillion US Dollars	2019
Real GDP per capita	29	42765 US Dollars	2019
Taxes and other revenues	105	23.2 % of GDP	0
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy	8	778.400 million	2017
Crude oil - exports	82	0	2017
Crude oil - imports	6	3.057 million	2017
Crude oil - production	89	0	2018
Crude oil - proved reserves	91	N/A	2017
Electricity - consumption	10	507.600 billion kWh	2016
Electricity - exports	94	0 kWh	2016
Electricity - from fossil fuels	29	70	2016
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants	67	2	2017
Electricity - from nuclear fuels	6	21	2017
Electricity - from other renewable sources	33	8	2017
Electricity - imports	117	0 kWh	2016
Electricity - installed generating capacity	12	111.200 million kWh	2016
Electricity - production	11	526.000 billion	2016
Natural gas - consumption	19	45.280 billion cubic meters	2017
Natural gas - exports	56	0 cubic meters	2017
Natural gas - imports	10	48.650 billion cubic meters	2017
Natural gas - production	73	339.800 million cubic meters	2017
Natural gas - proved reserves	76	7.079 billion	2018
Refined petroleum products - consumption	9	2.584 million	2017
Refined petroleum products - exports	7	1.396 million bbl/day	2017
Refined petroleum products - imports	7	908800 bbl/day	2017
Refined petroleum products - production	7	3.302 million bbl/day	2017
Environment
Air pollutants - carbon dioxide emissions	8	620.3 megatons	2016
Air pollutants - methane emissions	50	30.28 megatons	2020
Air pollutants - particulate matter emissions	69	24.57 micrograms per cubic meter	2016
Land use - agricultural land	148	18.1	2018
Land use - arable land	69	15.3	2018
Land use - forest	20	63.9	2018
Land use - other	129	18	2018
Land use - permanent crops	64	2.2	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	154	0.6	2018
Revenue from coal	31	0 % of GDP	2018
Revenue from forest resources	94	0.01 % of GDP	2018
Total renewable water resources	78	69.700 billion	2017
Total water withdrawal - agricultural	29	15.960 billion cubic meters	2017
Total water withdrawal - industrial	20	4.450 billion cubic meters	2017
Total water withdrawal - municipal	13	6.672 billion cubic meters	2017
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	148	0.31	2025
Urbanization - urban population	41	81.4	2021
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste generated annually	18	18.219 million tons	2014
Waste and recycling - municipal solid waste recycled annually	3	10.567 million tons	2014
Waste and recycling - percent of municipal solid waste recycled	4	58 %	2014
Geography
Area - land	106	96920 sq km	0
Area - total	108	99720 sq km	0
Area - water	21	2.800 million sq km	0
Coastline	54	2413 km	0
Elevation - highest point	196	1950 meters	0
Elevation - lowest point	34	0 meters	0
Elevation - mean elevation	110	282 meters	0
Irrigated land	48	7780 sq km	2012
Land boundaries - total	142	237 km	0
Land use - agricultural land	148	18.1	2018
Land use - arable land	69	15.3	2018
Land use - forest	20	63.9	2018
Land use - other	129	18	2018
Land use - permanent crops	64	2.2	2018
Land use - permanent pasture	154	0.6	2018
Total renewable water resources	77	69.700 billion	2017
Population
Age structure - 15-24 years	174	10.75 %	8057
Age structure - 25-54 years	26	44.83 %	7642
Age structure - 55-64 years	5	15.66 %	2322
Birth rate	206	6.89 births/1,000 population	2021
Contraceptive prevalence rate	3	82.3 %	2018
Current Health Expenditure	35	7.6 % of GDP	2018
Death rate	105	6.96 deaths/1,000 population	2021
Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio	43	22 %	0
Dependency ratios - potential support ratio	101	4.5 %	2020
Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio	144	39.5 %	0
Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio	168	17.5 %	0
Drinking water source - improved	1	100 % of population	0
Drinking water source - rural	108	N/A % of population	2021
Drinking water source - total	100	N/A % of population	2021
Drinking water source - unimproved	70	0 % of population	2017
Education expenditures	36	4.3 % of GDP	2016
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	38	N/A	0
HIV/AIDS - deaths	44	N/A	0
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS	108	N/A	0
Hospital bed density	5	12.3 beds/1,000 population	2017
Infant mortality rate - female	197	2.68 deaths/1,000 live births	2021
Infant mortality rate - male	202	3.12 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Infant mortality rate - total	200	2.91 deaths/1,000 live births	0
Life expectancy at birth - female	7	86.06 years	2021
Life expectancy at birth - male	21	79.66 years	0
Life expectancy at birth - total population	14	82.78 years	0
Maternal mortality rate	104	11	2017
Median age - female	21	45 years	2020
Median age - male	18	41.6 years	0
Median age - total	20	43.2 years	0
Mother's mean age at first birth	2	32.2	2019
Net migration rate	38	2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population	0
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	136	4.7 %	2016
Physicians density	66	2.36 physicians/1,000 population	2017
Population	27	51.715 million	2021
Population growth rate	132	0.26 %	2021
Sanitation facility access - improved	1	100 % of population	0
Sanitation facility access - rural	121	N/A % of population	2021
Sanitation facility access - total	114	N/A % of population	2021
Sanitation facility access - unimproved	107	0 % of population	2017
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - female	6	16 years	2018
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - male	4	17 years	0
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - total	5	17 years	0
Sex ratio - 0-14 years	9	1.06 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - 15-24 years	14	1.1	0
Sex ratio - 25-54 years	17	1.08	0
Sex ratio - 55-64 years	26	0.96	0
Sex ratio - 65 years and over	35	0.76 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - at birth	9	1.05 male(s)/female	0
Sex ratio - total population	16	1.01 male(s)/female	0
Total fertility rate	145	1.09 children born/woman	2021
Unemployment youth ages 15-24 - female	102	9.7	2020
Unemployment youth ages 15-24 - male	86	11	0
Unemployment youth ages 15-24 - total	98	10.3	0
Urbanization - rate of urbanization	149	0.31	2025
Urbanization - urban population	41	81.4	2021
Transportation
Airports	50	111	2013
Airports - with paved runways - 1524 to 2437 m	32	12	2017
Airports - with paved runways - 2438 to 3047 m	21	19	2017
Airports - with paved runways - 914 to 1523 m	32	13	2017
Airports - with paved runways - over 3047 m	23	4	2017
Airports - with paved runways - total	31	71	2017
Airports - with paved runways - under 914 m	17	23	2017
Airports - with unpaved runways - 1524 to 2437 m	30	N/A	2021
Airports - with unpaved runways - 914 to 1523 m	56	2	2013
Airports - with unpaved runways - total	58	40	2013
Airports - with unpaved runways - under 914 m	37	38	2013
Heliports	3	466	2013
National air transport system - annual freight traffic on registered air carriers	127	11.930 billion	2018
National air transport system - annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers	14	88.158 million	2018
National air transport system - inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers	17	424	0
National air transport system - number of registered air carriers	14	14	2020
Railways - total	48	3979 km	2016
Roadways - paved	27	92795 km	4193
Roadways - total	39	100428 km	2016
Waterways	46	1600 km	0

*CALCULATED FIGURES are those that we calculated from data presented by the CIA World Factbook. For example, we calculated population density by dividing the total population by the land area, the electricity consumption per capita by dividing electricity consumption by the total population, etc.

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, South on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, South 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, South 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.