Share of the population using the Internet in South Korea
South Korea: Share of the population using the Internet was 97.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population using the Internet in South Korea, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population using the internet in South Korea is 97.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using the internet in South Korea peaked at 97.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1990.
South Korea ranks 14th of 208 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population using the Internet in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 0.0% | +97.9% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +113.4% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | +154.1% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | +24.4% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | +163.7% |
| 1996 | 1.6% | +97.6% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | +122.2% |
| 1998 | 6.8% | +88.3% |
| 1999 | 23.6% | +248.1% |
| 2000 | 44.7% | +89.4% |
| 2001 | 56.6% | +26.6% |
| 2002 | 59.4% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 65.5% | +10.3% |
| 2004 | 72.7% | +11.0% |
| 2005 | 73.5% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 78.1% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 78.8% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 81.0% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 81.6% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 83.7% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 83.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 84.1% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 84.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 87.6% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 89.9% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 92.8% | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 95.1% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 96.0% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 96.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 97.6% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 97.2% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 97.4% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 97.9% | +0.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 97.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 93.1%, 1.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 97.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 80.5%, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the population using the Internet in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +248.1% | 6.8% | 23.6% |
| 1995 | +163.7% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| 1993 | +154.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1997 | +122.2% | 1.6% | 3.6% |
| 1992 | +113.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1991 | +97.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.7% | 0.0% | 23.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.2% | 44.7% | 81.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.4% | 83.7% | 96.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.3% | 96.5% | 97.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 11 Iceland 98.2% compare
- 12 Qatar 98.1% compare
- 13 Malaysia 98.0% compare
- 15 Faroe Islands 97.6% compare
- 16 San Marino 97.4% compare
- 17 Switzerland 97.3% compare
More science & technology data for South Korea
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 172.52 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.72 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 89.22 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 859.55 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 6.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 6.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 71,724 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0014 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using the internet in South Korea?
- Share of the population using the internet in South Korea was 97.9% in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population using the internet recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population using the internet recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for share of the population using the internet?
- South Korea ranks 14th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using the internet rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population who used the Internet in the last three months.