Population living in slums (% of urban population) in South Korea
South Korea: Population living in slums (% of urban population) was 4.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Population living in slums in South Korea, 2006–2022
Source: Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2022, population living in slums in South Korea stood at 4.5%. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is down 19.6% on the previous year and down 51.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population living in slums in South Korea peaked at 12.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2022.
South Korea ranks 114th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Population living in slums (% of urban population) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 12.8% | — |
| 2010 | 9.3% | -27.3% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | -49.5% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +23.4% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | +17.2% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | -17.6% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | -19.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 4.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 39.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 4.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 13.6%, 33% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.8% | 12.8% | 12.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 6.7% | 4.7% | 9.3% | 4 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 2 |
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 population living in slums in South Korea?
- Population living in slums in South Korea was 4.5% in 2022, according to Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
- What is the highest population living in slums recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 12.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest population living in slums recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for population living in slums?
- South Korea ranks 114th out of 174 countries with data for 2022.
- Is population living in slums rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), published as part of Population living in slums (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households. A slum household is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, housing durability, and security of tenure, as adopted in the Millennium Development Goal Target 7.D. The successor, the Sustainable Development Goal 11.1.1, considers inadequate housing (housing affordability) to complement the above definition of slums/informal settlements.