China vs Republic of Korea: population pyramids in 1981
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 1981, China has a population of 990.2 million and the Republic of Korea 38.4 million; China is about 26 times the size of the Republic of Korea.
The share aged 65 and over is 4.4% in China and 3.9% in the Republic of Korea, 0.6 points higher in China. The median age is 22.0 years in China and 22.2 years in the Republic of Korea.
The total fertility rate is 2.79 in China and 2.67 in the Republic of Korea, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 64.8 years in China and 67.1 years in the Republic of Korea.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to grow by 27.8% and that of the Republic of Korea to grow by 18.1% compared with 1981.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $36K in the Republic of Korea (2025).
Key figures (1981)
| China | Republic of Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 990.2 million | 38.4 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 35.6% | 33.7% |
| Aged 15–64 | 60.0% | 62.5% |
| Aged 65+ | 4.4% | 3.9% |
| Median age | 22.0 yrs | 22.2 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 7.4 | 6.2 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.79 | 2.67 |
| Life expectancy | 64.8 yrs | 67.1 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.50% | +1.73% |
| Net migration (per year) | -28,016 | +18,442 |
| 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.