Seoul, South Korea Population 2024

Seoul's 2024 population is now estimated at 10,004,800In 1950, the population of Seoul was 1,021,030Seoul has grown by 16,750 in the last year, which represents a 0.17% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Seoul, which typically includes Seoul's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Seoul, officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the largest metropolis and capital of South Korea. This megacity is the largest city proper in the developed world and the Seoul Capital Area is the second largest metropolitan in the world with more than 25.6 million people, which is half of all the residents in the country. The estimated population within the city limits for 2016 is 10.29 million.

The population of Seoul in 2016 is estimated at 10.29 million, although this is just the population of the Special City, which has a density of about 17,000 people per square kilometer (45,000/square mile). The sprawling metropolitan area is much larger at 25.6 million.

Interestingly, Seoul's population density is almost twice that of New York City, four times higher than Los Angeles and eight times higher than the density of Rome.

Seoul is divided into 25 gu, or districts, which range from 10 to 47 square kilometers and populations under 140,000 to over 630,000. Songpa is the most populous gu with over 680,000 people in 2016. It was the center of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Seocho is the largest gu by area and it's a popular middle- and upper-class residential area.

City Size and Population Density

The city of Seoul covers a total surface area of 605.21 kilometers squared (233.67 square miles). The population density is climbing past 16,000/km² (42,000 people living per square mile).

Seoul Demographics

Seoul has a very homogeneous population, as the majority of Seoulites are Korean. There are, however, small minorities of expatriates, Japanese and Chinese living in Seoul. In 2010, there were 255,500 foreigners living in Seoul out of its total population of 10.44 million. By the end of June 2011, there were 10.29 million citizens of the Republic of Korea in the city, with 281,700 foreigners.

Of its foreign population, 66% were Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry, followed by Chinese citizens not of Korean ethnicity (nearly 30,000 in population). The third largest group of foreigners were 10,000 US citizens not of Korean ancestry, followed by Taiwan (Republic of China) citizens with a population of 8,700.

The two largest religions in the city are Christianity and Buddhism, but other religions like Confucianism are practiced in Seoul.

Seoul History

Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje, and it was founded in 18 BC. It was known as the fortified city on the Han, or Hanseong, but it became the capital during the Joseong period that started in 1394 and was called Hanyang. The city was renamed Gyeongseong during the Japanese occupation and was renamed Seoul after the liberation in 1945.

Baekje was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and there are still many city walls that remain from this period. The Pungnap Toseong, an earthen wall close to Seoul, is believed to be the original site of Wireyeseong.

The city was originally surrounded by a 20-foot-high circular stone wall to offer citizens security from thieves, attack and wild animals, but the city grew past these walls and the original stone fortress only remains in the mountainous area near downtown, while the gates are still standing near Seoul downtown.

During the Korean War, the city sustained heavy damage as it was passed between the North Korean forces backed by China and the South Korean forces backed by the UN. Refugees also flooded into the area during the war, and the population swelled to 2.5 million, with more than 50% homeless.

Today, the Seoul area has more than 24% of South Korea's total population.

Seoul Population Growth

As one of the most densely packed cities in the world, Seoul does not have much room for growth. In fact, Seoul's population has been declining for a few years as childbirth rates remain very low.

In the recent past, people were flooding to the capital for employment, packing the city and sending real estate prices through the roof. Seoul's population started its decline in 2011, dropping 0.11% in just one quarter. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the city's number of single people keeps growing as young married couples move for cheaper housing.

By 2020, there will be 5 working people for every senior citizen, which will drop to 3 working people for every senior citizen by 2030. Time will tell if Seoul is able to reverse this trend, although it seems unlikely.

Growth Rate
0.17%

86 Rows

Year
Population
203510,285,600
203410,265,400
203310,242,600
203210,217,600
203110,190,900
203010,163,100
202910,134,500
202810,105,600
202710,077,100
202610,050,200
202510,025,800
202410,004,800
20239,988,050
20229,975,710
20219,967,680
20209,963,450
20199,962,390
20189,963,500
20179,941,240
20169,919,020
20159,896,860
20149,874,780
20139,852,740
20129,830,790
20119,808,820
20109,796,040
20099,801,210
20089,806,380
20079,811,560
20069,816,740
20059,822,450
20049,829,190
20039,835,960
20029,842,730
20019,849,500
20009,879,070
19999,953,640
199810,028,700
199710,104,200
199610,180,300
199510,255,900
199410,329,500
199310,403,500
199210,478,100
199110,553,300
199010,517,600
198910,269,300
198810,027,300
19879,790,340
19869,559,280
19859,333,670
19849,113,690
19838,898,310
19828,688,300
19818,483,260
19808,244,350
19797,938,110
19787,643,640
19777,360,100
19767,087,440
19756,807,520
19746,491,760
19736,190,640
19725,903,880
19715,629,670
19705,311,570
19694,855,260
19684,438,700
19674,056,880
19663,721,990
19653,452,120
19643,202,150
19632,969,670
19622,754,350
19612,554,640
19602,361,200
19592,171,090
19581,996,520
19571,835,980
19561,688,550
19551,552,600
19541,427,760
19531,312,960
19521,207,530
19511,110,310
19501,021,030

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
19501,021,0300%0
19511,110,3108.74%89,280
19521,207,5308.76%97,220
19531,312,9608.73%105,430
19541,427,7608.74%114,800
19551,552,6008.74%124,840
19561,688,5508.76%135,950
19571,835,9808.73%147,430
19581,996,5208.74%160,540
19592,171,0908.74%174,570
19602,361,2008.76%190,110
19612,554,6408.19%193,440
19622,754,3507.82%199,710
19632,969,6707.82%215,320
19643,202,1507.83%232,480
19653,452,1207.81%249,970
19663,721,9907.82%269,870
19674,056,8809%334,890
19684,438,7009.41%381,820
19694,855,2609.38%416,560
19705,311,5709.4%456,310
19715,629,6705.99%318,100
19725,903,8804.87%274,210
19736,190,6404.86%286,760
19746,491,7604.86%301,120
19756,807,5204.86%315,760
19767,087,4404.11%279,920
19777,360,1003.85%272,660
19787,643,6403.85%283,540
19797,938,1103.85%294,470
19808,244,3503.86%306,240
19818,483,2602.9%238,910
19828,688,3002.42%205,040
19838,898,3102.42%210,010
19849,113,6902.42%215,380
19859,333,6702.41%219,980
19869,559,2802.42%225,610
19879,790,3402.42%231,060
198810,027,3002.42%236,960
198910,269,3002.41%242,000
199010,517,6002.42%248,300
199110,553,3000.34%35,700
199210,478,100-0.71%-75,200
199310,403,500-0.71%-74,600
199410,329,500-0.71%-74,000
199510,255,900-0.71%-73,600
199610,180,300-0.74%-75,600
199710,104,200-0.75%-76,100
199810,028,700-0.75%-75,500
19999,953,640-0.75%-75,060
20009,879,070-0.75%-74,570
20019,849,500-0.3%-29,570
20029,842,730-0.07%-6,770
20039,835,960-0.07%-6,770
20049,829,190-0.07%-6,770
20059,822,450-0.07%-6,740
20069,816,740-0.06%-5,710
20079,811,560-0.05%-5,180
20089,806,380-0.05%-5,180
20099,801,210-0.05%-5,170
20109,796,040-0.05%-5,170
20119,808,8200.13%12,780
20129,830,7900.22%21,970
20139,852,7400.22%21,950
20149,874,7800.22%22,040
20159,896,8600.22%22,080
20169,919,0200.22%22,160
20179,941,2400.22%22,220
20189,963,5000.22%22,260
20199,962,390-0.01%-1,110
20209,963,4500.01%1,060
20219,967,6800.04%4,230
20229,975,7100.08%8,030
20239,988,0500.12%12,340
202410,004,8000.17%16,750
202510,025,8000.21%21,000
202610,050,2000.24%24,400
202710,077,1000.27%26,900
202810,105,6000.28%28,500
202910,134,5000.29%28,900
203010,163,1000.28%28,600
203110,190,9000.27%27,800
203210,217,6000.26%26,700
203310,242,6000.24%25,000
203410,265,4000.22%22,800
203510,285,6000.2%20,200

Seoul Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Seoul10,004,8000.17%
Busan3,477,4200.16%
Incheon2,861,6900.46%
Daegu2,179,930-0.05%
Daejon1,581,7000.27%
Gwangju1,532,9000.22%
Suweon1,378,2300.94%
Yongin1,147,9701.08%
Goyang1,114,0800.8%
Changwon1,055,3700.09%
Seongnam942,1590.07%
Ulsan914,3000.17%
Bucheon826,919-0.01%
Ansan768,8220.28%
Cheongju729,9220.4%
Cheonan708,5930.8%
Jeonju666,4470.18%
Anyang559,747-0.15%
Siheung448,9850.43%
Uijeongbu425,1360.16%

Other Cities in South Korea

  1. Seoul Metropolitan Government - Seoul population and demographic data
  2. Seoul Metropolitan Government - Seoul information and statistics

Sources