Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea

South Korea: Number of male sole proprietors was 608,604 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
608,604
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
1st
of 78 countries
All-time high
705,072
in 2020
All-time low
534,332
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea, 2014–2023

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2014201820232014: 534.3k2015: 553.5k2016: 568.6k2017: 596.8k2018: 635.4k2019: 610.7k2020: 705.1k2021: 671.0k2022: 634.6k2023: 608.6k

Source: World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 608,604 for number of male sole proprietors in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of male sole proprietors in South Korea peaked at 705,072 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 534,332, in 2014.

South Korea ranks 1st of 78 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea, 2014 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2014 534,332
2015 553,546 +3.6%
2016 568,552 +2.7%
2017 596,846 +5.0%
2018 635,446 +6.5%
2019 610,727 -3.9%
2020 705,072 +15.4%
2021 671,014 -4.8%
2022 634,626 -5.4%
2023 608,604 -4.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 583,242 534,332 635,446 6
2020s 654,829 608,604 705,072 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 2 Russia 550,143 compare
  2. 3 Mexico 532,833 compare
  3. 4 Philippines 365,565 compare

See the full ranking of 78 places →

More private sector data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of male sole proprietors in South Korea?
Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea was 608,604 in 2023, according to World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
What is the highest number of male sole proprietors recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 705,072 in 2020.
What is the lowest number of male sole proprietors recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 534,332 in 2014.
How does South Korea rank for number of male sole proprietors?
South Korea ranks 1st out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of male sole proprietors rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026, published as part of Number of male sole proprietors. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of male sole proprietors in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-male-sole-proprietors/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of male sole proprietors
Source
World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
78 places, 714 data points, 2014–2024
Last refreshed

Number of male sole proprietors is the number of newly registered sole proprietors owned by female individuals in the calendar year. A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned and managed by a single individual who is indistinguishable from the business and personally liable.