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How's Life?

Korea performs well across a number of well-being dimensions relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Korea outperforms the average in education, health and civic engagement. It underperforms average in environmental quality, social connections and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Korea, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 24 590 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about the same amount of people aged 15 to 64 in Korea have a paid job as the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 75% of men are in paid work, compared with 57% of women. In Korea, more employees work very long hours in paid work than the OECD average of 10%.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Korea, 89% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 92% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 87% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 520 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488. On average in Korea, girls outperformed boys by 5 points, smilar to the average OECD gap.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Korea is around 83 years, two years higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 86 years, compared with 80 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 - tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs - is 27.3 micrograms per cubic meter, well above the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Korea, 82% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a moderate sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Korea, where 80% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, less than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 77% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 76% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 77%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Koeans gave it a 5.8 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Korea

OECD's periodic surveys of the Korean economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Korea, households on average spend 15% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, the lowest level in the OECD, where the average is 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Korea, the average home contains 1.5 room per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 97.5% of dwellings in Korea contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, slightly more than the OECD average of 97%.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.

Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Korea, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 24 590 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 30 490.

Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In Korea, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 362 340, higher than the OECD average of USD 323 960.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Korea, 66% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is in line with the OECD employment average.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Korea, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently nearly 0%, the lowest rate in the OECD, where the average long-term unemployment rate is 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Koreans earn USD 41 960 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Korea, workers face an expected 2.9% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Protecting workers
Korea's Employment Insurance System (EIS) played a significant role in softening the effects of the economic crisis on employment. The EIS is made up of an unemployment benefit, job security programmes and job capability programmes. This system goes beyond income support, offering programmes that show employers how to retain jobs and making workers more employable. For example, the job security programme creates new jobs and encourages employers to keep workers, while the job capability development programme creates training and education opportunities. The subsidy for employment retention was particularly important following the crisis as it encourages employers to relocate jobs and give employees training opportunities rather than fire them in hard times. In 2009, the subsidy was increased tenfold from the previous year to curb the effects of the crisis and prevent widespread unemployment. More should be done to include non-regular workers in the EIS and Korea has taken a first step in this direction by introducing the Durunuri programme, which reduces the burden of EIS insurance premiums for small firms.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Job Quality Database

Indicators

Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Korea, 80% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, lower than the OECD average of 91%.

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Involving the community in neighbourhood regeneration
The Neighbourhood Regeneration Plan, a new approach to urban regeneration in Korea, addresses socio-economic issues often noted in declining cities (including population decrease, unemployment, sluggish local businesses, poor education, poverty, security and social exclusion) with the participation of the local community. It involves the community at all stages including the design, implementation and monitoring of regeneration projects to avoid the large-scale physical redevelopment of the past and to improve the quality of community life and the environment.

The cities of Jeonju and Changwon were selected for the initial and testing phase of the regeneration projects. The districts identified by the cities as decaying communities included 952 households and 1 313 retail stores in Jeonju; and 1 105 households and 829 retail shops in Changwon. The cities have prioritised the education of residents to build capacity for regeneration, and revitalisation of retail businesses, as well as sustainable environmental improvements. Preliminary results from the projects have elicited positive reactions from residents and strong commitment from local government.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Insights: Human Capital

Indicators

Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Koreans can expect to go through 17.2 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, similar to the OECD average of 18 years.

Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Korea, 89% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%.

But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2018, PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

Korea is a top-performing OECD country in reading literacy, maths and sciences with the average student scoring 520, above the OECD average of 488. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Combining work and school experience
The Vocational High-School Advancement Plan (2010-15) aimed to build vocational schools based on industrial needs and sector-specific skills, favouring work over college admission after high-school graduation. Improving the quality and relevance of vocational education in Korea is a priority as the average employment rate of junior college graduates and specialised vocational high-school graduates was only 61% and 41%, respectively, in 2013.

A cornerstone of the Plan was the creation of Meister schools, which allow students to combine work and study, based on the German craftsmen training model. There are now 41 Meister schools in Korea, with more than 16 000 students, and six more planned for 2016-17. The job placement rate for Meister school graduates is more than 90%, compared to only 44% for traditional vocational high schools.

A second initiative is the Work-Study Dual System, which aims to involve 70 000 students/workers and 10 000 companies in an apprenticeship system, launching programmes in vocational high schools, junior college states and universities. As the majority of participating firms are SMEs, the system faces financial challenges. To limit the fiscal cost as the programme expands, it should be reformed to make it more profitable to firms and students; SMEs could establish joint training centres, for example.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

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Key Findings

Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM2.5 - tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung - is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Korea, PM2.5 levels are 27.3 micrograms per cubic meter, the highest level in the OECD, where the average is 14 micrograms per cubic meter and much higher than the annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.

Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Korea, 82% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Reducing air pollution in cities

Korea is among the world's most densely populated countries, with some 70% concentrated in urban areas, particularly near the Seoul Metropolitan area. Air pollution, which already causes a wide range of health problems across the world, poses a real threat to this population. In response, Seoul has taken important measures to reduce air pollution. Yearly emission caps for nitrogen oxides (NO X) and sulphur oxides (SO X) were enforced in 2008. Facilities that exceed their allocated emissions receive fines. Emissions allowances have also been continuously reduced over the years to improve effectiveness. Considering the emission cap management system's success to date there is potential to expand the system to other parts of the country.

The Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Control Master Plan (2005-14) successfully reduced air pollutant emissions by half from 2001 levels by 2014. Though air quality improved significantly, PM ₁₀ and NO 2 concentration targets were not achieved. In a push to continue improving air quality, new concentration targets for PM 2.5 and ozone were included in a second master plan for 2015-24.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050

Indicators

Key Findings

Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Korea was 77% of those registered. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 69%.

Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In Korea, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 2.9 (on a scale between 0 and 4), higher than the OECD average of 2.1.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Engaging youth in policy making
The Korean government has created Youth Participation Organisations (YPOs) to engage young people in central and local policy making, and participate in managing various youth centres.

Until the late 1990s, young people in Korea had been regarded as simply to be protected, and thus could hardly participate in social issues. Now, young people can freely express their opinions and needs regarding policies that affect them.

YPOs consist of National Youth Congress, Youth Steering Committee, Youth Participation Committee, and Change Community Programme. In 2014 approximately 100 000 people had benefitted from the YPOs. Every year, some 10 000 young people propose diverse and creative ideas from their own perspectives. Their new ideas include a suggestion to create the "Help Call 120" system for the youth in Seoul, a proposal to make a basic-Plan for the Youth in Daegu, and calls for career experience programmes in youth facilities. An evaluation of 2005-2013 shows that the national youth congress proposed a total of 357 policy projects to the central government and 316 (88.5%) of the proposed projects were accepted over the nine years.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being Regulatory Policy Outlook: Korea

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Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Life expectancy at birth is just above 83 years, two years above the OECD average of 81 years. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).

When asked "How is your health in general?" almost 34% of people in Korea reported to be in good health, much less than the OECD average of 68% and the lowest score in the OECD. Caution is required in making cross-country comparisons as the assessment can be affected by factors as cultural background. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.

Indicators

Key Findings

Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Koreans on average gave it a 5.8 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving student well-being
Koreans may be top of the class when it comes to education, but when asked about their level of life satisfaction, Korean students do not rank nearly as high. The Free Semester initiative was introduced in 2013 to boost students' well-being by letting students take a semester free from exams and other formal assessments and to pursue a mix of academic and extracurricular activities instead. During this semester, collaborative and experimental learning is encouraged, as are sports, arts, internships, music, job shadowing and lectures. Teachers use qualitative and informative methods to gauge progress and provide students with feedback. More than 3 000 schools participated in the Free Semester initiative in 2016.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

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Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In Korea, about 82% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, more than the OECD average of 74%.

The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country's safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Korea's homicide rate is 0.8, lower than the OECD average of 2.6.

Indicators

Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.

An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In Korea, the percentage of employees that work very long hours in paid work is much higher than the OECD average of 10%.

The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Korea, full-time workers devote 62% of their day on average, or 14.8 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) - close to the OECD average of 15 hours.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Helping parents
Like many countries, Korea has struggled with a declining fertility rate putting stress on the future economy. The Korean government has supported a number of initiatives since the early 2000s so that parents are not forced to choose between work and family commitments.

For example, formal childcare has been made a priority, first increasing and expanding the subsidy in 2004, and then dropping the income-test in 2013 and further extending coverage to children aged 3-5 years. These changes created a universal programme of public assistance for centre-based childcare. Overall, public spending on early childhood education and care increased from 0.1% of GDP in 2000 to 0.9% in 2014, the highest increase in public investment in this area in any OECD country. This had a positive impact on enrolment rates for children aged 0-2 years, increasing from 4% in 2002 to 35% in 2014. Enrolment for children aged 3-5 years also increased significantly from 31% in 2005 to 92% in 2014.

Korean parents can also better manage their time thanks to a system of child-related leaves until their child's second birthday. Employed parents are entitled to three types of leave, including maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave as well as financial support for maternity and parental leave. The extension of duration and increase in payment rates for maternity and parental leave have increased take-up of maternity leave in the private sector fivefold between 2002 and 2015.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

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Korea performs well across a number of well-being dimensions relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Korea outperforms the average in education, health and civic engagement. It underperforms average in environmental quality, social connections and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

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South Korea's recent history is one of amazing progress. Annexed by Japan early in the 20th century, and ravaged by World War II and the Korean War, South Korea lapsed into military dictatorship for decades.

Beginning in the late 1980s, however, South Korea created a representative democratic government and one of the world's top high-tech manufacturing economies. Despite lingering unease about the relationship with neighboring North Korea, the South is a major Asian power and an inspiring success story.

Capital: Seoul, population 9.9 million

Busan, 3.4 million

Incheon, 2.9 million

Daegu, 2.4 million

Daejeon, 1.5 million

Gwangju, 1.5 million

Ulsan, 1.2 million

Suwon, 1.2 million

Changwon, 1.1 million

South Korea is a constitutional democracy with a three-branched government system.

The executive branch is headed by the president, directly elected for a single five-year term. Park Geun Hye was elected in 2012, with his successor to be elected in 2017. The president appoints a Prime Minister, subject to approval from the National Assembly.

The National Assembly is a unicameral legislative body with 299 representatives. Members serve for four years.

South Korea has a complicated judicial system. The highest court is the Constitutional Court, which decides matters of constitutional law and impeachment of government officials. The Supreme Court decides other top appeals. Lower courts include appellate courts, district, branch, and municipal courts.

South Korea's population is approximately 50,924,000 (2016 estimate). The population is remarkably homogenous, in terms of ethnicity - 99% of the people are ethnically Korean. However, the number of foreign laborers and other migrants is gradually increasing.

Much to the government's concern, South Korea has one of the world's lowest birthrates at 8.4 per 1,000 population. Families traditionally preferred to have boys. Sex-preference abortion resulted in a large sex imbalance of 116.5 boys born for every 100 girls in 1990. However, that trend has reversed and while the male to female birth rate is still slightly imbalanced, the society now values girls, with a popular slogan of, "One daughter raised well is worth 10 sons!"

South Korea's population is overwhelmingly urban, with 83% living in cities.

The Korean language is the official language of South Korea, spoken by 99% of the population. Korean is a curious language with no obvious linguistic cousins; different linguists argue that it is related to Japanese or to the Altaic languages such as Turkish and Mongolian.

Until the 15th century, Korean was written in Chinese characters, and many educated Koreans can still read Chinese well. In 1443, King Sejong the Great of the Joseon Dynasty commissioned a phonetic alphabet with 24 letters for Korean, called hangul. Sejong wanted a simplified writing system so that his subjects could more easily become literate.

As of 2010, 43.3 percent of South Koreans had no religious preference. The largest religion was Buddhism, with 24.2 percent, followed by all Protestant Christian denominations, at 24 percent, and Catholics, at 7.2 percent.

There are also tiny minorities who cite Islam or Confucianism, as well as local religious movements such as Jeung San Do, Daesun Jinrihoe or Cheondoism. These syncretic religious movements are millenarian and draw from Korean shamanism as well as imported Chinese and Western belief systems.

South Korea covers an area of 100,210 sq km (38,677 sq miles), on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. Seventy percent of the country is mountainous; arable lowlands are concentrated along the west coast.

South Korea's only land border is with North Korea along the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ). It has sea borders with China and Japan.

The highest point in South Korea is Hallasan, a volcano on the southern island of Jeju. The lowest point is sea level.

South Korea has a humid continental climate, with four seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are hot and humid with frequent typhoons.

South Korea is one of Asia's Tiger Economies, ranked fourteenth in the world according to GDP. This impressive economy is based largely on exports, particularly of consumer electronics and vehicles. Important South Korean manufacturers include Samsung, Hyundai, and LG.

Per capita income in South Korea is $36,500 US, and the unemployment rate as of 2015 was an enviable 3.5 percent. However, 14.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

The South Korea currency is the won. As of 2015, $1 US = 1,129 Korean won.

After two thousand years as an independent kingdom (or kingdoms), but with strong ties to China, Korea was annexed by the Japanese in 1910. Japan controlled Korea as a colony until 1945, when they surrendered to the Allied forces at the end of World War II. As the Japanese pulled out, Soviet troops occupied northern Korea and U.S. troops entered the southern peninsula.

In 1948, the division of the Korean Peninsula into a communist North Korea and a capitalist South Korea was formalized. The 38th parallel of latitude served as the dividing line. Korea became a pawn in the developing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded the South. Just two days later, South Korean President Syngman Rhee ordered the government to evacuate from Seoul, which was quickly overrun by northern forces. That same day, the United Nations authorized member nations to provide military assistance to South Korea, and U.S. president Harry Truman ordered American forces into the fray.

Despite the rapid U.N. response, South Korea's troops were sadly unprepared for the North Korean onslaught. By August, the Korean People's Army (KPA) of the North had pushed the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) into a tiny corner on the southeast coast of the peninsula, around the city of Busan. The North had occupied 90 percent of South Korea in less than two months.

In September of 1950, U.N. and South Korean forces broke out of the Busan Perimeter and began to push the KPA back. A simultaneous invasion of Incheon, on the coast near Seoul, drew off some of the North's forces. By early October, U.N. and ROK soldiers were inside of North Korean territory. They pushed north toward the Chinese border, prompting Mao Zedong to send the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to reinforce the KPA.

Over the next two and a half years, the adversaries fought to a bloody stalemate along the 38th Parallel. Finally, on July 27, 1953, the U.N., China and North Korea signed an armistice agreement that ended the war. South Korean president Rhee refused to sign. An estimated 2.5 million civilians were killed in the fighting.

Student uprisings forced Rhee to resign in April 1960. The following year, Park Chung-hee led a military coup that signaled the beginning of 32 years of military rule. In 1992, South Korea finally elected a civilian president, Kim Young-sam.

Throughout the 1970s-90s, Korea quickly developed an industrial economy. It is now a fully-functioning democracy and a major East Asian power.

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South Korea's recent history is one of amazing progress. Annexed by Japan early in the 20th century, and ravaged by World War II and the Korean War, South Korea lapsed into military dictatorship for decades. Beginning in the late 1980s, however, South Korea created a representative democratic government and one of the world's top high-tech manufacturing economies.

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Few nations on Earth have had a more colorful history than Japan.

Settled by migrants from the Asian mainland back in the mists of prehistory, Japan has seen the rise and fall of emperors, rule by samurai warriors, isolation from the outside world, expansion over most of Asia, defeat, and rebirth. One of the most war-like of nations in the early 20th century, Japan today often serves as a voice of pacifism and restraint on the international stage.

Capital and Major Cities

Capital: Tokyo

Major Cities: Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka

Government

Japan has a constitutional monarchy, headed by an emperor. The current emperor is Akihito; he wields very little political power, serving primarily as the symbolic and diplomatic leader of the country.

The political leader of Japan is the Prime Minister, who heads the Cabinet. Japan's bicameral legislature is made up of a 465-seat House of Representatives and a 242-seat House of Councillors.

Japan has a four-tier court system, headed by the 15-member Supreme Court. The country has a European-style civil law system.

Shinzō Abe is the current Prime Minister of Japan.

Population

Japan is home to about 126,672,000 people. Today, the country suffers from a very low birth rate, making it one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world.

The Yamato Japanese ethnic group comprises 98.5 percent of the population. The other 1.5 percent includes Koreans (0.5 percent), Chinese (0.4 percent), and the indigenous Ainu (50,000 people). The Ryukyuan people of Okinawa and neighboring islands may or may not be ethnically Yamato.

The vast majority of Japan's citizens (99 percent) speak Japanese as their primary language.

Japanese is in the Japonic language family, and seems to be unrelated to Chinese and Korean. However, Japanese has borrowed heavily from Chinese, English, and other languages. In fact, 49 percent of Japanese words are loanwords from Chinese, and 9 percent come from English.

Three writing systems coexist in Japan: hiragana, which is used for native Japanese words, inflected verbs, etc.; katakana, which is used for non-Japanese loanwords, emphasis, and onomatopoeia; and kanji, which is used to express the large number of Chinese loanwords in the Japanese language.

Most Japanese citizens practice a syncretic blend of Shintoism and Buddhism. Very small minorities practice Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism.

The native religion of Japan is Shinto, which developed in prehistoric times. It is a polytheistic faith, emphasizing the divinity of the natural world. Shintoism does not have a holy book or founder. Most Japanese Buddhists belong to the Mahayana school, which came to Japan from Baekje Korea in the sixth century.

In Japan, Shinto and Buddhist practices are combined into a single religion, with Buddhist temples being built at the sites of important Shinto shrines.

The Japanese archipelago includes more than 3,000 islands, covering a total area of 377,835 square kilometers (145,883 square miles). The four main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Japan is largely mountainous and forested, with arable land making up only 11.6 percent of the country. The highest point is Mount Fuji, at 3,776 meters (12,385 feet). The lowest point is Hachiro-gata, which sits at four meters below sea level (-12 feet).

Positioned astride the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan features a number of hydrothermal features such as geysers and hot springs. The country suffers frequent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

Stretching 3,500 km (2,174 miles) from north to south, Japan includes a number of different climate zones. It has a temperate climate overall, with four seasons.

Heavy snowfall is the rule in the winter on the northern island of Hokkaido; in 1970, the town of Kutchan received 312 cm (over 10 feet) of snow in a single day. The total snowfall for that winter was more than 20 meters (66 feet).

The southern island of Okinawa, in contrast, has a semi-tropical climate with an average annual temperate of 20 Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). The island receives about 200 cm (80 inches) of rain per year.

Japan is one of the most technologically advanced societies on Earth; as a result, it has the world's third largest economy by GDP (after the U.S. and China). Japanese exports include automobiles, consumer and office electronics, steel, and transportation equipment. Imports include food, oil, lumber, and metal ores.

Economic growth stalled in the 1990s, but since has rebounded to a quietly respectable 2 percent per year. Per capita GDP in Japan is $38,440; 16.1 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Japan was settled about 35,000 years ago by Paleolithic people from the Asian mainland. At the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, a culture called the Jomon developed. Jomon hunter-gatherers fashioned fur clothing, wooden houses, and elaborate clay vessels. According to DNA analysis, the Ainu people may be descendants of the Jomon.

The second wave of settlement by the Yayoi people introduced metal-working, rice cultivation, and weaving to Japan. DNA evidence suggests that these settlers came from Korea.

The first era of recorded history in Japan is the Kofun (A.D. 250-538), which was characterized by large burial mounds or tumuli. The Kofun were headed by a class of aristocratic warlords; they adopted many Chinese customs and innovations.

Buddhism came to Japan during the Asuka period, 538-710, as did the Chinese writing system. At this time, society was divided into clans. The first strong central government developed during the Nara period (710-794). The aristocratic class practiced Buddhism and Chinese calligraphy, while agricultural villagers followed Shintoism.

Japan's unique culture developed rapidly during the Heian era (794-1185). The imperial court turned out enduring art, poetry, and prose. The samurai warrior class developed at this time as well.

Samurai lords, called "shogun," took over the government in 1185, and ruled Japan in the name of the emperor until 1868. The Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333) ruled much of Japan from Kyoto. Aided by two miraculous typhoons, the Kamakura repelled attacks by Mongol armadas in 1274 and 1281.

A particularly strong emperor, Go-Daigo, tried to overthrow the shogunate in 1331, resulting in a civil war between competing northern and southern courts that finally ended in 1392. During this time, a class of strong regional lords called "daimyo" increased in power; their rule lasted through the end of the Edo period, also known as the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1868.

That year, a new constitutional monarchy was established, headed by the Meiji Emperor. The power of the shoguns came to an end.

After the Meiji Emperor's death, the emperor's son became the Taisho Emperor. His chronic illnesses kept him away from his duties and allowed the country's legislature to introduce new democratic reforms. During World War I, Japan formalized its rule over Korea and seized control of northern China.

The Showa Emperor, Hirohito, oversaw Japan's aggressive expansion during World War II, its surrender, and its rebirth as a modern, industrialized nation.

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Few nations on Earth have had a more colorful history than Japan. Settled by migrants from the Asian mainland back in the mists of prehistory, Japan has seen the rise and fall of emperors, rule by samurai warriors, isolation from the outside world, expansion over most of Asia, defeat, and rebirth.

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South Korea is the country making up the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea and is around 38,502 square miles (99,720 sq km). Its border with North Korea is at a ceasefire line which was established at the end of the Korean War in 1953 and corresponds roughly to the 38th parallel. The country has a long history that was dominated by either China or Japan until the end of World War II, at which time Korea was divided into North and South Korea.

Today, South Korea is densely populated and its economy is growing as it is known for producing high-tech industrial goods.

The following is a list of ten things to know about the country of South Korea:

1) South Korea's population as of July 2009 was 48,508,972. Its capital, Seoul, is one of its largest cities with a population of over ten million.

2) The official language of South Korea is Korean but English is taught widely in the country's schools. In addition, Japanese is common in South Korea.

3) The population of South Korea is composed of 99.9% Korean but 0.1% the population is Chinese.

4) The dominant religious groups in South Korea are Christian and Buddhist, however a large percent of South Koreans claim no religious preference.

5) South Korea's government is a republic with a single legislative body which is comprised of the National Assembly or Kukhoe. The executive branch is made up of chief of state who is the country's president and a head of government who is the prime minister.

6) Most of South Korea's topography is mountainous with its highest point being Halla-san at 6,398 feet (1,950 m). Halla-san is an extinct volcano.

7) Around two-thirds of the land in South Korea is forested. This includes the mainland and some of the more than 3,000 small islands that are located on the country's southern and western coasts.

8) The climate of South Korea is temperate with cold winters and hot, wet summers. The average January temperature for Seoul, South Korea's capital city, is 28°F (-2.5°C) while the average August high temperature is 85°F (29.5°C).

9) South Korea's economy is high-tech and industrialized. Its main industries include electronics, telecommunications, auto production, steel, shipbuilding and chemical production. Some of South Korea's largest companies include Hyundai, LG and Samsung.

10) In 2004, South Korea opened a high speed rail line called Korea Train Express (KTX) which was based on the French TGV. The KTX runs from Seoul to Pusan and Seoul to Mokpo and transports over 100,000 people daily.

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South Korea is the country making up the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea and is around 38,502 square miles (99,720 sq km). Its border with North Korea is at a ceasefire line which was established at the end of the Korean War in 1953 and corresponds roughly to the 38th parallel.

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The GHO portal provides a simple query interface to the World Health Organization's data and statistics content, using OData (Open Data Protocol).

You can find below a set with the most comprehensive examples.

*More information about the Odata protocol can be found here .

Table of contents

Example 1 - Retrieving the list of available dimensions

Simply specifying the /api/DIMENSION URL will provide you with the list of available dimension codes. The default result is returned in the Observatory's XML schema. Dont forget to include the trailing slash (/) character.
https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/Dimension

Example 2 - Retrieving a list of available values for a specific dimension

By appending a dimension code and the DimensionValues parameter to the OData URL you can retrieve the list of values associated with that specific dimension. For example, to retrieve the list of the COUNTRY dimension values, use the following link:
https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/DIMENSION/COUNTRY/DimensionValues

Example 4 - Retrieving indicator data

Specify an indicator to download by specifying the indicator code. This will return all associated data for that specific indicator. Building on the previous example, take the code WHOSIS_000001, "Life expectancy at birth" and retrieve the data for this indicator using the following URL:
https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/WHOSIS_000001

Example 5 - Filtering data

You can filter the data returned by the web service by identifying specific dimensions and dimension codes that you wish to include or exclude. Use the URL parameter filter with a list of fully qualified dimension codes separated by operator 'and'. Continuing to build on the query from the previous example, if you wish to see the life expectancy at birth data for male sex only, the query is:

https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/WHOSIS_000001?$filter=Dim1 eq 'MLE'

Example 6 - Filtering indicator data by time dimension

The indicator data can be related to one year or, in some cases, to a time period that can span over multiple consecutive years.

To make sure that the service returns all the data related to one year. you can filter using the 'TimeDimensionBegin' and 'TimeDimensionEnd' fields.

Continuing to build on the query from the previous example, if you wish to see the life expectancy at birth data for male sex only, for the year 2011 the query is:
https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/WHOSIS_000001?$filter=Dim1 eq 'MLE' and date(TimeDimensionBegin) ge 2011-01-01 and date(TimeDimensionBegin) lt 2012-01-01

Example 9 - Using OData in Power BI

In Power BI Desktop, you can connect to an OData feed and use the underlying data just like any other data source in Power BI Desktop.

To connect to an OData feed, select Get Data > OData Feed from the Home ribbon in Power BI Desktop.

In the OData Feed window that appears, type or paste the following URL into the box, and select OK:
https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api

Power BI Desktop connects to the OData feed, and displays the available tables and other data elements in the Navigator window. When you select an element, the right pane of the Navigator window displays a preview of the data. You can select as many tables as you want to import. The Navigator window shows a preview of the currently selected table.

Additional information

If you would like to have more information regarding the API, please send an email to [email protected]

If you have any feedback, you are welcome to write it here.

If you need to access the old Global Health Observatory data, you can do it here. But before you leave, please provide us your feedback about our new data portal.

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The GHO portal provides a simple query interface to the World Health Organization's data and statistics content, using OData (Open Data Protocol). You can find below a set with the most comprehensive examples. *More information about the Odata protocol can be found here .

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WVSA invites paper submissions into the special issue of Frontiers in Sociology journal "Social values and identities in the Black Sea area". Black Sea has always been an area of vivid economic and cultural exchange, located at the intersection of different political systems and local cultures. This topic aims at studying the culture and identity in the Black Sea area, inquiring the existence of a common political identity relying on a similar cultural background. We encourage submissions approaching the topic from a holistic perspective, looking at the cultural space, not limited to the geographical one, inquiring to what extent the historical path contributed to the creation of a common cultural space and what is the contribution of economics, politics, and international relations to its development. Submissions using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods and employing an interdisciplinary perspective are equally welcome.

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World Values Survey Data-Archive Online Survey analysis website

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One of the most significant global events in the last forty years has been the rise of China- economically, technologically, politically, and militarily. The question on people's minds for decades has been whether China will replace the United States as a superpower in the near future. But for China, this power must be comprehensive - having strong economic and militant forces are only two pieces of the puzzle. China must also possess soft power, such as attractive ideologies, values, and culture. China as Number One? explores China's soft powers through the eyes of Chinese citizens. Utilizing data from the World Values Survey, the contributors to this collection analyze the potential soft power of a rising China by examining its residents' social values. A comprehensive study of changes and continuities in the political and social values of Chinese citizens, the book examines findings in the context of evolutionary modernization theory and cross-national comparison.

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World Values Survey Data-Archive Online Survey analysis website

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China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.

How big is China compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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United States and China living comparison. Explore similarities and differences. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation.

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China is approximately 9,596,960 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 2% larger than China. Meanwhile, the population of China is ~1.4 billion people (1.1 billion fewer people live in United States).

This to-scale map shows a size comparison of China compared to United States. For more details, see an in-depth quality of life comparison of United States vs. China using our country comparison tool.

Other popular comparisons:

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China is approximately 9,596,960 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 2% larger than China. Meanwhile, the population of China is ~1.4 billion people (1.1 billion fewer people live in United States). This to-scale map shows a size comparison of China compared to United States.

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Watch the Short Film

Summer Festivals in Osaka, Japan

Visit any city or town in Japan during the summer months, and you are likely to find a local neighborhood festival in progress. These celebrations abound in Japan, and normally take place at a local Shinto shrine.

What on Earth is a Shinto shrine? Deeply embedded in the Japanese culture, the Shinto tradition is essentially based in acknowledging our relationship and place within nature, and expressing gratitude for the elements and aspects of this nature.

The festival in the film above takes place at Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, an 1,800 year old shrine in Osaka, dedicated watching over those at sea. People of all ages from the local community take part in performances, purification ceremonies, and a 5km long procession that culminates with a dip in the river.

We need not visit Japan to experience this way of thinking. Indeed, the cultural ideal of living in harmony with nature, is not unique to Japan or to the Shinto tradition. Globally, most indigenous people that we know of - from North America to Africa - maintain very similar foundations and beliefs, as do the roots of both Eastern and Western religions. Truly, these understandings are something universal; they are also something that the world could use a bit more of today.
The One Minute series is independently filmed and produced by SocieCity

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One Minute at a Japanese Matsuri (Festival) - City as Nature

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Join us for one minute at Sumiyoshi Matsuri in Osaka, Japan, a traditional festival held yearly at the 1,800 year-old Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine.

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In Japan, earthquakes of the most extreme strength occur. In the case of earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 9.0, destruction and devastation can occur within a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. Due to the special tectonic situation of the country, there are more earthquakes than average.

Since 1950, more than 7,500 people died by the direct consequences of earthquakes. There were 110 earthquakes that also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives, and cause additional damage.

Other natural hazards in Japan:
› Volcanoes
› Tsunamis
› Typhoons
› The most severe earthquakes in the world
Back to overview: Japan

Most recent events

This list includes the strongest earthquakes recorded in or around Japan by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the past 14 days. Whether an event is listed here depends largely on its magnitude, but also on its distance from inhabited areas. All data refer to the local time. Due to the current situation, we update this page several times a day. The next update is expected around 13:00 UTC.

Earthquakes in Japan since 1950

The strongest earthquake in Japan happened on 03/11/2011 in the Honshu region with a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter scale. The shifting of tectonic plates in a depth of 24 km resulted in 1475 deaths. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, leading to further victims and destruction.

These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Data have been summarized and translated.

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Recent earthquakes and their magnitudes in Japan

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Earthquakes and their intensities in Japan

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Rylan Sekiguchi
September 2006
available in PDF format ( 148.84 KB )

Excerpt from 10,000 Shovels: China's Urbanization and Economic Development

As China's population and economy have grown, so has its thirst for water. Today China is the world's biggest water user, accounting for 13 percent of the world's freshwater consumption. ²⁶ Not only do humans use water for drinking; we use it to wash our clothes, bathe, cook, and clean. On a larger scale, water is heavily used for countless other purposes such as industrial manufacturing, household plumbing, raising agriculture and livestock, and even producing energy. All of these processes require good, clean water. Luckily, China is home to many sources of fresh water. People have relied on these sources-rivers, lakes, rain, and aquifers-for thousands of years. In a country that is experiencing such rapid urbanization and economic development, however, clean water is becoming more and more scarce. Aquifer levels are dropping, lakes are disappearing, rivers are drying up or becoming polluted, and air contaminants are producing acid rain. Water shortages plague over half of China's cities. ²⁷ Today, water is one of China's Imost crucial issues.

China's current water crisis is driven by two primary factors. The first of these is China's uneven distribution of water. Because of its large and diverse geography, China has a wide spectrum of terrains and climate zones. While southern and eastern China enjoy abundant rainfall, the northern and western regions of the country receive very little. This weather pattern can lead to unfortunate and seemingly contradictory effects, with some provinces battling floods while others are suffering from months-long droughts. Between mid-April and the end of May 2006, southern and northeastern China endured three brutal rainstorms, bringing rainfall of 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) or more per day. This resulted in regional flooding, destruction of vast crop fields and thousands of homes, 60 to 70 human deaths, and economic losses of nearly $1.6 billion. At the same time, however, northern China was experiencing a severe drought that affected or threatened 182 million hectares (450 million acres) of farmland, 8.7 million livestock, and 95 million people. ²⁸ Beijing, the nation's capital in northern China, was suffering its worst drought in 50 years. It received only 17 millimeters (0.7 inches) of rain in four months-a fraction of a day's rainfall in southern China. 29

Extremes in this climate pattern have led to problems for China. Although the floods in April and May 2006 were damaging to the cities and communities of southern China, they were not nearly as disastrous as others in China's recent history. For example, one flood in 1998 caused the Yangtze River-China's largest-to overflow, killing more than 3,500 people, damaging or destroying more than 21 million houses, and causing economic losses of $32 billion. ³⁰ Another flood in 1954 was even worse, taking 30,000 lives. ³¹ To address the common flooding of the south, China has recently built the Three Gorges Dam, an ambitious and controversial project meant to monitor and control the Yangtze's water levels to prevent future floods.

Northern China faces the opposite problem: it often receives far too little rainwater. In the north, the demand for water surpasses the available supply, largely because it has two-thirds of China's total cropland and 43 percent of its population, but only 14 percent of its water supply. 32,33 Beijing and other northern cities and communities have had to rely on other sources of water to irrigate their crops, run their cities, and feed their people. Although northern China sits atop two large underground aquifers, so much water is being drained from them that their levels are dropping at an incredible rate. In Hebei Province next to Beijing, the water level of the deep aquifer falls three meters every year. ³⁴ Rivers are also used for their water, but overuse has diminished even the Yellow River to a trickle. The Yellow River-northern China's main river-has dried up every year since 1985. ³⁵ With aquifers and rivers suffering from overuse, lakes are also being affected. Hebei has already lost 969 of its 1,052 lakes. ³⁶ Yet with all of northern China's water resources being tapped, water shortages still cost the Chinese economy a lot of money. According to one report, water shortages are responsible for direct economic losses of $35 billion annually, about 2.5 times the average annual losses due to floods. ³⁷

Besides the disparity in water supply between the north and south, China's water crisis has a second factor: pollution. Even in water-rich areas of China, pollution is decreasing the supply of clean, usable water. According to estimates, a full 70 percent of China's rivers and lakes are currently contaminated, half of China's cities have groundwater that is significantly polluted, and one-third of China's landmass is affected by acid rain. 38,39,40 Today, most of the Yellow River is unfit even for swimming, and experts have called the Yangtze "cancerous." ⁴¹ Because hundreds of cities-including large ones like Shanghai and Chongqing-rely on these rivers for their drinking water, people all over the country are suffering from China's water pollution crisis. The central government has begun to fight the pollution problem by issuing stricter regulations on pollutants and spending billions of dollars on water projects, but water quality is generally still poor. In 2006, Chongqing's tap water contained 80 of 101 banned pollutants. ⁴²

Causes and Effects

China's water crisis is both natural and man-made. For example, China's northern regions are arid because of its natural geography and climate patterns, but humans have made these effects even worse. Rapid climate change, which most scientists consider largely human-influenced, is shortening China's rainy seasons and melting important glaciers that feed the Yellow River. ⁴³ Northern China's rivers are drying up as they are strained by a growing population, more factories, and water-hungry crop fields. Overgrazing by livestock-which have become incredibly numerous-has turned grasslands into sandy deserts, which in turn has caused ecosystems to lose their natural water-trapping capabilities and become even dryer. ⁴⁴ In this way, many of China's water problems stem from both natural and human causes.

Although the water crisis affects the whole country, farmers experience a large part of its effects, simply because of economic reasons. Growing food is water intensive, but not highly profitable. A farmer needs 1,000 tons of water to produce a ton of wheat worth $150, whereas a factory needs only 14 tons of water to produce a ton of steel worth $550. In China, where the government is desperate to create jobs and grow the economy, it makes economic sense to prioritize a steel factory's water needs over a farmer's. Thus, farmers' needs are often sacrificed. In Beijing, for example, water was diverted from the Juma River to supply a petrochemical company, while 120,000 villagers downstream watched the river dry up, no longer able to use the Juma for irrigation. ⁴⁵ Episodes like this are not uncommon.

Farmers sometimes contribute to China's water scarcity and pollution problems as well. The high water-cost of irrigation-which accounts for 70 percent of water use worldwide ⁴⁶-is often raised even higher in China by inefficient irrigation methods. In addition, the agricultural chemicals (like pesticides and fertilizers) that are used on crops sometimes turn into toxic runoff that can pollute groundwater. ⁴⁷

Factories are even worse polluters, releasing untreated waste and chemicals into China's rivers. Many times, the pollution happens by accident. According to authorities, one pollution accident occurs every two to three days in China. ⁴⁸ In one case, in 2005, a chemical explosion at a petrochemical plant spilled 100 tons of pollutants into the Songhua River, forcing the downstream city of Harbin to shut down its entire water system, leaving 3.8 million residents without water for four days. ⁴⁹ But most times, pollution is intentional; the same petrochemical plant has released more than 150 tons of mercury into the Songhua since it was built. ⁵⁰ About 80 percent of China's 7,500 dirtiest factories are located on rivers, lakes, or in heavily populated areas, so the potential for future pollution-accidental or not-is enormous. ⁵¹

In terms of health, China's water crisis has had serious consequences. About 300 million people in China-a quarter of its population (or a number equivalent to the entire U.S. population)-drink contaminated water every day. Almost two-thirds of these people-190 million-fall ill. Children are suffering, too, with more than 30,000 dying each year from diarrhea caused by contaminated water. In addition, China's water has been blamed for the recent high rates of various health abnormalities like cancer, stunted growth, low IQs, miscarriages, and birth defects. ⁵²

Efforts to solve these water problems have sometimes created additional problems. To control flooding, numerous dams have been built on China's waterways. These dams are meant to allow humans to control the water level of river "reservoirs" so that, in the event of heavy rains, the region will not flood. However, China's past dams have been unreliable. Between 1954 and 2005, 3,486 reservoirs collapsed in China, 68 in 2005 alone. ⁵³ In 1975, two Huai River dams collapsed, killing an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 people. ⁵⁴

China is now completing its largest, most ambitious dam ever, the Three Gorges Dam. It will create a reservoir extending 600km (375 miles) behind the dam, raising the water level of the Yangtze, and submerging farmland, houses, temples, factories, towns, and entire cities-not to mention some of China's most famous scenery. 55,56 In exchange, the Three Gorges Dam is intended to prevent flood disasters downstream, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives. In addition, generators in the dam will transform the power of the river's water into electricity, providing much-needed energy to keep China's economy thriving. China claims the dam will generate the electricity of 15 power plants-enough to pay for half of the project's cost-and will reduce the country's annual coal usage by 50 million metric tons, therefore diminishing a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 57,58,59

To complete the project, the government has reported spending upwards of $25 billion (though the project's real cost is widely believed to be much higher) and has forced more than 1.3 million people to relocate, sometimes with little or no compensation. 60,61 In areas like Wanxian Prefecture, the new reservoir will submerge rich farmland, and relocated farmers will be forced to farm on higher, less fertile ground. ⁶² Furthermore, critics say the slowed river water will allow pollution to gather and contribute to the spread of disease. The government denies these claims and says that water quality will actually improve. ⁶³

China is also undertaking another massive water project called the South-North water diversion, where China intends to engineer three new waterways to carry water from China's wet south to its dry north. This project began in 2002 and is projected to cost $60 billion (though it is already over budget). More than 200,000 people will be relocated. ⁶⁴ The relocations are likely to encourage people to destroy forests for new land, therefore accelerating soil erosion. ⁶⁵ Still, perhaps the water diversion is necessary. As one Chinese scientist said, "Without water in northern China, people can't survive. And the economic development that has been going on cannot continue." ⁶⁶ Projects like the South-North water diversion and the Three Gorges Dam have both costs and benefits. The important question is how to weigh their potential economic, social, and environmental effects against each other.

Suggested Resources

Worldwatch Institute:
Wikipedia:
Elizabeth Economy, "The Lessons of Harbin," Time.com, 27 November 2005, [15 November 2006].
Lester R. Brown, Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006).

Notes

26 Zijun Li, "Expert: Half of Chinese Cities Have Polluted Groundwater," Worldwatch Institute, 6 December 2005, [7 September 2006].
27 "In Deep," Economist, 18 August 2001, 31.
28 Zijun Li, "As Flood Season Arrives, China Combats 'Drought and Flood' Climate," Worldwatch Institute, 6 June 2006, [10 July 2006].
29 "Cities Guide: Beijing - News This Month: Nor Any Drop to Drink," Economist.com, 2 June 2006.
30 World Meteorological Organization, "WMO Statement on the Status of the Global Climate in 1998," [1 December 2006].
31 "Stopping the Yangzi's Flow," Economist, 2 August 1997, 31-32.
32 Lester R. Brown, "Falling Water Tables in China May Soon Raise Food Prices Everywhere," Earth Policy Institute, 2 May 2000, [14 November 2006].
33 Jim Yardley, "A Troubled River Mirrors China's Path to Modernity," New York Times, 19 November 2006.
34 Lester R. Brown, Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006), 44.
35 Brown, "Falling Water Tables."
36 Brown, Plan B 2.0, 52.
37 Zijun Li, "China Issues New Regulation on Water Management, Sets Fees for Usage," Worldwatch Institute, 14 March 2006, [7 September 2006].
38 Zijun Li, "China's Rivers: Frontlines for Chemical Wastes," Worldwatch Institute, 23 February 2006, [7 September 2006].
39 Li, "Polluted Groundwater."
40 Zijun Li, "Acid Rain Affects One-Third of China; Main Pollutants Are Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate Matter," Worldwatch Institute, 30 August 2006, [8 November 2006].
41 Reuters, "Yangtze River 'Cancerous' with Pollution," 30 May 2006, [30 May 2006].
42 Li, "China's Rivers."
43 Yardley, "A Troubled River."
44 Yingling Liu, "Human Activities Contribute to Drying Up of Major River Headwaters," Worldwatch Institute, 19 October 2005, [1 November 2006].
45 Brown, Plan B 2.0, 53-55.
46 Ibid., 42.
47 Zijun Li, "Soil Quality Deteriorating in China, Threatening Public Health and Ecosystems," Worldwatch Institute, 27 July 2006, [1 November 2006].
48 Ke Zhang, "Group Monitors China's Water Polluters Using Online Mapping," Worldwatch Institute, 26 September 2006, [1 November 2006].
49 Yingling Liu, "Harbin Resumes Water Supply," Worldwatch Institute, 30 November 2005, [7 September 2006].
50 Li, "China's Rivers."
51 Jim Yardley, "Rules Ignored, Toxic Sludge Sinks Chinese Village," New York Times, 4 September 2006.
52 Elizabeth Economy, "The Lessons of Harbin," Time.com, 27 November 2005, [15 November 2006].
53 Li, "As Flood Season Arrives."
54 "Stopping the Yangzi's Flow."
55 Ibid.
56 Stan Grant, "Great Wall Nears End at Three Gorges," CNN.com, 18 May 2006, [1 August 2006].
57 Ibid.
58 "Stopping the Yangzi's Flow."
59 "A Terrible Beauty Is Born," Economist, 27 May 2006, 39.
60 Grant.
61 "The Great Flood Begins," Economist, 7 June 2003, 34-35.
62 "Stopping the Yangzi's Flow."
63 Grant.
64 "China's Massive South-North Water Diversion Project Facing Money Woes," U.S. Water News Online, December 2004, [20 October 2006].
65 "In Deep."
66 Yardley, "A Troubled River."

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Rylan Sekiguchi September 2006 available in PDF format ( 148.84 KB ) Excerpt from 10,000 Shovels: China's Urbanization and Economic Development As China's population and economy have grown, so has its thirst for water. Today China is the world's biggest water user, accounting for 13 percent of the world's freshwater consumption.

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For almost two decades, China remained one of the top five most polluted countries in the world. But after launching a successful "war against pollution" in 2014, China was able to reduce its particulate pollution by 28 percent-dropping the country from its top five ranking in recent years. If the reductions are sustained, China's people can expect to live 1.4 years longer. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, one of China's most polluted areas in 2013, saw a 33 percent reduction in particulate pollution, translating into a gain of 2.6 years of life expectancy for its about 109 million residents, if sustained.

KEY TAKE-AWAYS

Despite significant progress over a short time, China's particulate pollution is still almost four times the WHO guideline, making it the tenth most polluted country in the world.

Ninety-nine percent of China's 1.4 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline. Fifty-five percent live in areas where particulate pollution exceeds the national standard.

If pollution were reduced to meet the WHO guideline, Chinese people could gain an additional 2.7 years onto their lives

In parts of Hebei and Henan provinces, home to much of the country's coal and steel industries, residents could see their life
expectancies rise by up to an additional 4.5 years if pollution levels met the WHO guideline.

Beijing saw a 30 percent reduction in particulate pollution from 2013-2018, gaining 2 years in life expectancy if the
reduction is sustained. Residents could further gain 1.4 years if the city's pollution met China's national standard, or 3.8 years if it met the WHO guideline.

Policy Impacts

To achieve further improvements, the Chinese government announced in July 2018 a new plan to reduce pollution from 2018 to 2020. Regions that did not meet the national air quality standard of 35 µg/m3 would need to reduce particulate pollution by 18 percent relative to 2015 levels. Though the national targets are less ambitious than those set for 2013-2017, some prefectures set more stringent targets for themselves in their local five-year plans. For example, Beijing committed itself to a 30 percent reduction from 2015 levels by 2020.

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For almost two decades, China remained one of the top five most polluted countries in the world. But after launching a successful "war against pollution" in 2014, China was able to reduce its particulate pollution by 28 percent-dropping the country from its top five ranking in recent years.

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Consequently, the government has striven to restructure the innovation ecosystem, including through the establishment of a National Science, Technology and Innovation Office in 2017 to improve co-ordination of the system.

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Population growth (annual %) - East Asia & Pacific from The World Bank: Data

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Countries in Eastern Asia

The current population of Eastern Asia is 1,694,699,262 as of Friday, July 14, 2023, based on the latest United Nations estimates.

Eastern Asia population is equivalent to 21.53% of the total world population.

Eastern Asia ranks number 2 in Asia among subregions ranked by Population.

The population density in Eastern Asia is 145 per Km² (376 people per mi²).

The total land area is 11,560,456 Km2 (4,463,515 sq. miles)

64.3 % of the population is urban (1,078,434,915 people in 2019).

The median age in Eastern Asia is 39.4years.

Population of Eastern Asia (2019 and historical)

Eastern Asia Population Forecast

Notes

The Eastern Asia Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Eastern Asia delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Eastern Asia (1950 - 2019) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2019.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2019. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the sub-region as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2019: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2019: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the countries within Eastern Asia, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Eastern Asia's Share of World Pop: Total population as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Rank within Asia: Position held by Eastern Asia in the list of all regions within Asia ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.

See also

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Population of Eastern Asia (2023) - Worldometer

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Eastern Asia Population: current, historical, and projected population, growth rate, immigration, median age, total fertility rate (TFR), population density, urbanization, urban population, country's share of world population, and global rank. Data tables, maps, charts, and live population clock

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TOKYO -- East Asia has entered an era of population decline. Japan was the first to show a clear trend of sustained falls, but now China, South Korea and Taiwan are too.

Last year, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all posted natural population declines -- meaning there were more deaths than births -- for the first time since comparable data became available. And the number of newborns seems to have declined significantly in mainland China as well.

The region could see a further drop in the number of newborns this year due to the pandemic.

Net population declines have begun 10 years earlier than widely anticipated, hampering long-term growth prospects.

South Korea recorded a natural population decline of 32,700 in 2020, while Taiwan posted a drop of 7,900 and Hong Kong a fall of 6,700.

The number of deaths in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong remained roughly unchanged last year thanks to their stringent coronavirus measures, but the number of newborns fell sharply -- 10%, 7% and 18.5%, respectively.

China, which has an estimated population of 1.4 billion, is also edging closer to a natural population decline. According to the country's Ministry of Public Security, the number of newborns fell 15% in 2020 to 10.03 million, almost balanced out by the country's nearly 10 million deaths.

Yet, the figures could be deceiving. The ministry's data is based on registration, and there could be many unfiled births. China's National Bureau of Statistics is expected to release its newborn figure for 2020 as early as April, based on its once-a-decade population census, which was conducted last year.

Given how long pregnancies last, COVID-19 would have had a limited impact on the number of the region's newborns last year. The declining number of marriages had a bigger impact.

In China, South Korea and Taiwan, the number of marriages had been on a steady downtrend before the pandemic. The number of couples getting married in the three economies fell 10% to 30% between 2015 and 2019 due to soaring housing prices and other harsh economic realities that stifle younger generations. In each, the number of marriages fell about 10% last year, a sign that newborn numbers could drop further in 2021.

A falling birthrate seriously impacts a nation's economic performance. In the 1970s, Japan's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime -- was about 2, so there were enough newborns to keep the overall population afloat. But the rate started to drop markedly in the mid-1980s, when the country's gross domestic product topped $10,000 per capita. A decade later, the rate sank below 1.5.

South Korea's and Taiwan's per capita GDPs crossed $10,000 in the first half of the 1990s, and their fertility rates fell below 1.5 a decade later. China's per capita GDP exceeded $10,000 in 2019, and if the experience of its peers is any guide, its fertility rate will start falling soon.

The only difference between Japan's total fertility rate and those of its East Asian neighbors is the speed of decline. Japan started experiencing a fall in natural population in the 2000s, but its fertility rate has largely held above 1.3.

South Korea's fertility rate dipped to 0.98 in 2018 and to 0.84 in 2020, while Taiwan saw its rate fall to around 1. Some experts estimate that China's fertility rate has already dropped to 1.2 or 1.3. A rapid decline in population leads to a "demographic cliff," and those economies would face much steeper cliffs than the one confronting Japan, if the downtrend continues.

The next 10-plus years will be crucial for arresting the rapid birthrate declines.

Until 2000, the number of newborns in China, South Korea and Taiwan remained twice as high as current levels. If people aged 20 or older, who make up a large portion of these populations, have more babies, the population decline could stop. But since baby booms ended after 2000, these nations' birthrates have fallen sharply. In a decade or so, the pool of potential parents will have severely evaporated.

None of East Asia's economies expected their populations to start shrinking so soon. In late 2016, Statistics Korea projected that the country's population would start declining in 2032. In 2019, the United Nations forecast that South Korea's population would start shrinking in 2025 and Taiwan's in 2030.

As for China, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expects the country's population to start falling in 2030, with the U.N. saying the decline will begin in 2032. But recent figures indicate the drop could begin much sooner.

This would necessitate a revision to the region's long-term economic forecasts. The number of people aged 15 to 64, a demographic that is crucial to economic growth, has already started to decline in China, South Korea and Taiwan. A further drop in their fertility rates would accelerate the working-age population declines beyond current projections.

What is worrying is that Southeast Asia's population could also start falling earlier than expected. While the region has seen a sharp increase in population, growth in Thailand and Vietnam is already slowing.

"Compared to Japan, the pace of population decline is much faster in the rest of Asia, and growth led by a booming population is coming to an end," said Minoru Nogimori, chief economist at the Japan Research Institute. "Asian economies could face a much longer period of low growth than the one Japan has experienced, unless their productivity improves dramatically through effective use of IT and other means."

The 21st century has been called the Asian century, but if the region is to truly shape global trends and culture it must correct its population decline.

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East Asia faces population drop 10 years earlier than anticipated

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TOKYO -- East Asia has entered an era of population decline. Japan was the first to show a clear trend of sustained falls, but now China, South Korea and Taiwan are too. Last year, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all posted natural population declines -- meaning there were more deaths than births -- for the first time since comparable data became available.