Gender Inequality Index in South Korea
South Korea: Gender Inequality Index was 0.038 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Gender Inequality Index in South Korea, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, gender inequality index in South Korea stood at 0.038. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.0% on the previous year and down 47.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in South Korea peaked at 0.314 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.038, in 2023.
That places South Korea 158th out of 169 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender Inequality Index in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.314 | — |
| 1991 | 0.308 | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 0.306 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.302 | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 0.284 | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 0.276 | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 0.269 | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 0.261 | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.244 | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 0.237 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 0.185 | -21.9% |
| 2001 | 0.18 | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 0.187 | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 0.173 | -7.5% |
| 2004 | 0.109 | -37.0% |
| 2005 | 0.102 | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 0.097 | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 0.088 | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 0.084 | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 0.08 | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 0.078 | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.08 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 0.074 | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 0.073 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.07 | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 0.067 | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 0.061 | -9.0% |
| 2017 | 0.054 | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 0.055 | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 0.051 | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 0.042 | -17.6% |
| 2021 | 0.04 | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 0.04 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.038 | -5.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.038 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.081, 47% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.038 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.35, 11% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender Inequality Index in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | -37.0% | 0.173 | 0.109 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.2801 | 0.237 | 0.314 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1285 | 0.08 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0663 | 0.051 | 0.08 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.04 | 0.038 | 0.042 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More poverty & inequality data for South Korea
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,615 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0.0454 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 26.87 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 26.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender inequality index in South Korea?
- Gender inequality index in South Korea was 0.038 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.314 in 1990.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.038 in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for gender inequality index?
- South Korea ranks 158th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labor market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.