Quick facts
Busan overview
Busan (orange) and the other large cities of South Korea
Busan lies in South Korea at 35.1°N, 129.03°E, about 15 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Seoul (UTC+9); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Seoul (10,349,312) and larger than Incheon (3,015,482). The largest city in South Korea is Seoul with 10,349,312 people; the capital, Seoul, has 10,349,312.
The national capital, Seoul, is about 330 km away; the nearest large city is Kimhae, 20 km from Busan.
South Korea as a whole has a live population of 51,579,911 (-0.1% a year) and ranks #31 of 238 countries — see the South Korea population page for the full statistics and the South Korea atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Busan
Largest cities in South Korea
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Busan?
Busan has about 3,285,147 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Busan the capital of South Korea?
No. The capital of South Korea is Seoul (10,349,312 people), about 330 km away. Busan is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Busan compared with the rest of South Korea?
Its 3,285,147 residents are 6.4% of the 51,579,911 people living in South Korea today. Seoul is larger with 10,349,312 people.
Where is Busan?
In South Korea, at latitude 35.1 and longitude 129.03, 15 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Kimhae (20 km), Yangsan (27 km), Changwon (35 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Busan Population 2026 — South Korea. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-korea/busan/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-korea/busan/">Busan Population 2026 — South Korea</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.