What total did South Korea's 2020 census count by sex and age group?

South Korea’s 2020 population-and-housing census counted 51,829,136 people by sex and age group. The total consisted of 25,915,207 males and 25,913,929 females, an almost even split with a slight male majority.

This census count is a snapshot of the population recorded by Statistics Korea, rather than the same measure as a vital-statistics estimate. That distinction explains why nearby tables may show figures such as 51,836,239 for 2020: those series use different statistical bases and reference points.

The timing was demographically significant. In 2020, South Korea recorded more deaths than births for the first time in modern records, while its fertility rate remained exceptionally low. The census total consequently became an important benchmark for discussions of population aging, labor supply, and the country’s eventual population decline.