Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea
South Korea: Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations was 51.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea, 1984–2022
Source: Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea stood at 51.7%.
The figure is up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea peaked at 61.2% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 42.0%, in 1998.
That places South Korea 19th out of 38 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 61.2% | — |
| 1993 | 57.2% | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 42.0% | -26.6% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 48.9% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 50.3% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 51.7% | +2.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 51.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 46.0%, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 61.2% | 61.2% | 61.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 49.6% | 42.0% | 57.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 49.6% | 48.9% | 50.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 51.7% | 51.7% | 51.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More social development data for South Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,407 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea?
- Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations in South Korea was 51.7% in 2022, according to Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of people who trust churches and religious organizations recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 1984.
- What is the lowest share of people who trust churches and religious organizations recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.0% in 1998.
- How does South Korea rank for share of people who trust churches and religious organizations?
- South Korea ranks 19th out of 38 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of people who trust churches and religious organizations rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people who trust churches and religious organizations. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
% of respondents replying that they "trust completely" or "trust somewhat" when asked "I am going to name a number of organizations. For each one, could you tell me how much confidence you have in them: is it a great deal of confidence, quite a lot of confidence, not very much confidence or none at all?" in the organization "The Churches (mosque, temple, etc.)".