Population: 21,687,550 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 2,843,250; female 2,705,206)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,223,364; female 7,502,094)
65 years and over: 6% (male 448,242; female 965,394) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.35% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 20.43 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.74 years
male: 67.76 years
female: 73.86 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese

Religions: traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Languages: Korean

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)