China vs Republic of Korea: population pyramids in 2026
ChinaRepublic of Korea
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
China and Republic of Korea compared
In 2026, China has a population of 1.41 billion and the Republic of Korea 51.6 million; China is about 27 times the size of the Republic of Korea.
The share aged 65 and over is 15.0% in China and 20.9% in the Republic of Korea, 5.8 points higher in the Republic of Korea. The median age is 41.4 years in China and 46.9 years in the Republic of Korea.
The total fertility rate is 1.03 in China and 0.76 in the Republic of Korea, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 79.0 years in China and 84.6 years in the Republic of Korea.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to shrink by 10.6% and that of the Republic of Korea to shrink by 12.3% compared with 2026.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $36K in the Republic of Korea (2025).
Figures from 2024 are UN medium-variant projections.
Key figures (2026)
| China | Republic of Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.41 billion | 51.6 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 15.1% | 10.0% |
| Aged 15–64 | 69.9% | 69.1% |
| Aged 65+ | 15.0% | 20.9% |
| Median age | 41.4 yrs | 46.9 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 21.5 | 30.2 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.03 | 0.76 |
| Life expectancy | 79.0 yrs | 84.6 yrs |
| Population growth | -0.22% | -0.14% |
| Net migration (per year) | -232,107 | +62,644 |
| GDP | $19.5T (2025) | $1.87T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $14K (2025) | $36K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 4.6% (2025) | 2.7% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.