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US vs South Korea Population
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1960 South Korea stood at roughly 14% of United States’s Population; today the figure is about 15%, and the pair was closest in 1989 (17%).
| Year | United States | South Korea | South Korea as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 180,671,000 | 25,012,374 | 14% |
| 1970 | 205,052,000 | 32,240,827 | 16% |
| 1980 | 227,225,000 | 38,123,775 | 17% |
| 1990 | 249,623,000 | 42,869,283 | 17% |
| 2000 | 282,162,411 | 47,008,111 | 17% |
| 2010 | 309,378,227 | 49,554,112 | 16% |
| 2020 | 331,578,104 | 51,836,239 | 16% |
| 2025 | 341,784,857 | 51,684,564 | 15% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass South Korea in Population?
It has not come to that. United States has posted the larger Population in every published year (1960–2025).
How do United States and Korea, Rep. compare today?
United States is ahead: 341,784,857 against 51,684,564 — the trailing economy stands at about 15% of the leader.
Are these Population figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — people — with no interpolation or estimation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: