Share of women using contraceptives in Korea
Korea: Share of women using contraceptives was 84.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of women using contraceptives in Korea, 1965–2021
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of women ages 15-49.
Analysis
In 2021, share of women using contraceptives in Korea stood at 84.2%.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women using contraceptives in Korea peaked at 84.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 1965.
That places Korea 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Share of women using contraceptives in Korea, year by year
| Year | % of women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 16.0% | — |
| 1966 | 20.0% | +25.0% |
| 1971 | 24.2% | +21.2% |
| 1974 | 34.9% | +44.0% |
| 1976 | 44.2% | +26.6% |
| 1979 | 54.5% | +23.3% |
| 1982 | 57.7% | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 70.4% | +22.0% |
| 1988 | 77.1% | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 79.4% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 77.4% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 80.5% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 79.3% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 84.5% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 80.2% | -5.1% |
| 2006 | 79.6% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 77.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 79.6% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 82.3% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 84.2% | +2.3% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 84.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 66.8%, 1.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Korea's 84.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 60.1%, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.0% | 16.0% | 20.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 39.5% | 24.2% | 54.5% | 4 |
| 1980s | 68.4% | 57.7% | 77.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 79.1% | 77.4% | 80.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 80.7% | 79.3% | 84.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 79.7% | 77.1% | 82.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 84.2% | 84.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More gender data for Korea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,318 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -3.79 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 46,871 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 46,871 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.0957 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 119,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 125,732 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 116,471 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 122,813 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 119,098 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women using contraceptives in Korea?
- Share of women using contraceptives in Korea was 84.2% in 2021, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 84.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 1965.
- How does Korea rank for share of women using contraceptives?
- Korea ranks 3rd out of 116 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of women using contraceptives rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women using contraceptives. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Contraceptive prevalence rate is the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of contraception. It is usually measured for women ages 15-49 who are married or in union.