After the liberation in 1945, southern Korea faced a housing shortage greatly compounded by high population growth rates. A housing shortage continues to plague the nation, especially in Seoul, Pusan, and other large cities, where shantytowns house many recent rural arrivals. The 1985 census counted 9,588,723 households but only 6,274,462 housing units, for a deficit of 3,314,261. According to 2000 national statistics, there were 10,959,342 housing units nationwide. About 47% were apartment units, 37% were detached houses, and 4% were found in buildings not orginally intended for residential dwellings. Most units house single-family households.
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