>South Korea
People
The origins of the Korean people are obscure. Korea was first populated by a people or peoples who migrated to the peninsula from the northwestern regions of Asia, some of whom also settled parts of northeast China (Manchuria). Koreans are racially and linguistically homogeneous, with no sizable indigenous minorities, except for some Chinese (approximately 20,000).
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| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | |
| Population, total (millions) | 42.87 | 47.01 | 49.55 | 51.84 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Surface area (sq. km) (thousands) | 99.3 | 99.3 | 100 | 100.4 |
| Population density (people per sq. km of land area) | 444.4 | 487.3 | 509.8 | 531.5 |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population) | .. | .. | 0.5 | .. |
| Income share held by lowest 20% | .. | .. | 7.3 | .. |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 72 | 76 | 80 | 83 |
| Fertility rate, total (births per woman) | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49) | 79 | 79 | 80 | 82 |
| Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total) | 98 | 100 | 100 | .. |
| Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) | 16 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) | .. | 0.9 | 0.7 | .. |
| Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) | 93 | 95 | 98 | 98 |
| Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) | 99 | 103 | 101 | 105 |
| School enrollment, primary (% gross) | 105.3 | 100.6 | 101.7 | 101 |
| School enrollment, secondary (% gross) | 93 | 96 | 96 | 96 |
| School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Environment | ||||
| Forest area (sq. km) (thousands) | 65.5 | 64.8 | 63.9 | 62.9 |
| Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area) | .. | .. | .. | 5.8 |
| Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources) | 33.9 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Urban population growth (annual %) | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) | 2,167 | 4,003 | 5,045 | .. |
| CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) | 5.78 | 9.71 | 11.61 | 11.8 |
| Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) | 2,373 | 5,907 | 9,716 | .. |