Republic of Korea vs China, Taiwan Province of China: population pyramids in 2021
Republic of KoreaChina, Taiwan Province of China
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.
Republic of Korea and China, Taiwan Province of China compared
In 2021, the Republic of Korea has a population of 51.9 million and China, Taiwan Province of China 23.6 million; the Republic of Korea is about 2.2 times the size of China, Taiwan Province of China.
The share aged 65 and over is 16.2% in the Republic of Korea and 16.3% in China, Taiwan Province of China, almost the same. The median age is 44.0 years in the Republic of Korea and 43.0 years in China, Taiwan Province of China.
The total fertility rate is 0.78 in the Republic of Korea and 0.98 in China, Taiwan Province of China, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 83.8 years in the Republic of Korea and 80.8 years in China, Taiwan Province of China.
By 2050, the population of the Republic of Korea is projected to shrink by 12.7% and that of China, Taiwan Province of China to shrink by 17.5% compared with 2021.
Key figures (2021)
| Republic of Korea | China, Taiwan Province of China | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51.9 million | 23.6 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Aged 15–64 | 71.8% | 71.2% |
| Aged 65+ | 16.2% | 16.3% |
| Median age | 44.0 yrs | 43.0 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 22.6 | 22.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 0.78 | 0.98 |
| Life expectancy | 83.8 yrs | 80.8 yrs |
| Population growth | -0.16% | -0.75% |
| Net migration (per year) | -16,778 | -145,743 |
| GDP | $1.87T (2025) | — |
| GDP per person | $36K (2025) | — |
| Unemployment | 2.7% (2025) | — |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.