Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in South Korea
South Korea: Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) was 36.09 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in South Korea, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 36.09 for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea peaked at 40.62 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 35.53, in 2024.
That places South Korea 114th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 40.62 | — |
| 1991 | 39.89 | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 39.61 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 39.59 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 38.87 | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 38.54 | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 38.33 | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 37.98 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 39.79 | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 39.82 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 39.25 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 38.89 | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 38.38 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 38.89 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 38.18 | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 38.44 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 38.54 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 38.68 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 39.19 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 39.78 | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 39.67 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 39.36 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 39.07 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 38.6 | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 37.72 | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 37.42 | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 37.37 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 37.09 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 37.24 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 37.01 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 37.73 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 37.45 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 36.21 | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 35.73 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 35.53 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 35.65 | +0.3% |
| 2026 | 35.84 | +0.5% |
| 2027 | 36.09 | +0.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 36.09 is below the median for high income countries, which is 37.7, 96% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 36.09 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 36.23, 100% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.3 | 37.98 | 40.62 | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.82 | 38.18 | 39.78 | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.06 | 37.01 | 39.67 | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.28 | 35.53 | 37.73 | 8 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More gender data for South 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 inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea?
- Inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Korea was 36.09 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 40.62 in 1990.
- What is the lowest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.53 in 2024.
- How does South Korea rank for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- South Korea ranks 114th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator conveys the number of persons of working age outside the labour force (that is, not employed or unemployed) expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.