Working-Age Population Falls Below 70%... Elderly Exceed 20% for the First Time

Despite Decline in Domestic Population, Inflow of Foreigners Keeps Total Population Steady

Counties Stand Out Among Top Regions for Population Growth

The proportion of the working-age population (aged 15-64), the backbone of Korea's economy, has fallen below 70%. In contrast, for the first time, the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 and over has surpassed 20%, officially marking Korea's entry into a "super-aged society." While the inflow of foreigners has barely offset the natural decrease of the domestic population, stagnation continues. At the same time, some changes in the local population map are being observed, with certain counties ("gun") showing signs of resisting regional extinction.

Decline in Both Youth and Working-Age Populations... Elderly Population Surpasses 20% for the First Time

2025 Population and Housing Census Results. Ministry of Data and Statistics.

On July 28, the Ministry of Data and Statistics announced the "2025 Population and Housing Census Results (registration-based census method)." The most notable highlight is the working-age population. As of November 1, 2025, the working-age population (aged 15-64) stood at 35.87 million, representing just 69.2% of the total population. The youth population (aged 0-14) also sharply declined to 5.22 million (10.1%), a drop of 196,000 people (-3.6%) compared to the previous year.

On the other hand, the elderly population (aged 65 and over) reached 10.72 million (20.7%), exceeding 20% of the total population for the first time in history. This is an increase of 1.2 percentage points (601,000 people) from the previous year, which stood at 19.5%. The aging index, which represents the number of elderly per 100 youths, also soared to 205.2, an increase of 18.5 from the previous year's 186.7, highlighting the severe population imbalance.

Overall Population Appears to Rise 0.02%... 70,000 Foreigners Offset Domestic Population Decline

The total population stood at 51.82 million, appearing to increase by 10,000 people (0.02%) compared to the previous year. However, a closer look reveals that this is a mere "illusion," as the natural decline in the domestic population was barely compensated for by an increase in the foreign population. The actual domestic population declined by 50,000 (-0.1%) year-on-year to 49.71 million, continuing a downward trend since 2021. However, the foreign population surged by 70,000 (3.2%) from the previous year, reaching 2.11 million and thereby serving as a buffer for the overall population.

The proportion of foreigners in the total population also continued to rise, reaching 4.1%. While the proportion of working-age domestic residents was only 68.4%, as much as 89.3% of the foreign population, mainly in their 30s, was counted as working-age, indicating that foreigners are filling labor market gaps.

By region, except for Jeju (-0.2%), the foreign population increased in every province and city. By area, foreign population growth was particularly steep in non-metropolitan regions, including Gangwon (10.4%), Jeonnam (10.0%), and Gyeongbuk (9.7%). However, due to the government's policies encouraging voluntary departure of illegal immigrants and adjustments to employment permit quotas, the year-on-year growth rate of the foreign population (3.2%) slowed compared to the previous year (5.6%).

4 Out of Top 10 Regions for Population Growth are Counties... Basic Income and Profit Sharing Drive Influx

There have been unusual changes in the regional population map, challenging conventional trends. In the past, areas with the highest population growth rates were concentrated in newly developed suburban districts or metropolitan city districts. This year, however, four counties ("gun") made the top 10 for population growth among cities, counties, and districts. These include Shin-An County in Jeonnam (5.6%, 3rd nationwide), Muan County in Jeonnam (3.5%, 6th), Yeonggwang County in Jeonnam (3.1%, 9th), and Eumseong County in Chungbuk (3.1%, 10th).

This population rebound is seen as a practical outcome of the government's designation of "population decline areas" and "rural basic income pilot areas." Of the 89 population-decline areas designated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 23 cities, counties, and districts saw their populations increase. Among the 10 rural basic income pilot areas, population inflow was confirmed in eight locations, including Shin-An County.

In the case of Shin-An County in Jeonnam, policies such as "solar pension" and "solar child benefit" through the renewable energy profit-sharing system have led to a rare influx of teenagers and young children, in contrast to the decline in other regions. In Yeonggwang County in Jeonnam, expanding marriage and childbirth incentives and improving settlement conditions contributed to population inflows. In Muan County in Jeonnam, the construction of new apartment complexes in the newly developed Namak and Oryong districts near Mokpo resulted in notable population growth. Eumseong County in Chungbuk experienced a virtuous cycle of jobs and housing, driven by its designation as an innovation city, the attraction of small and medium manufacturing companies to advanced industrial complexes, and matching housing supply.

Korea Reaches Era of 23.25 Million Households... Single-Person Households Led by Seniors, but Overall Growth Slows

Changes in population structure have also altered the household landscape. As of 2025, the total number of households reached 23.25 million, up 1.1% (250,000 households) from the previous year. This increase was largely driven by single-person households. Among all general households, the share of single-person households reached a record high of 36.6% (8.24 million households). Also, for the first time, the number of "non-relatives" households with five or fewer members living together surpassed 600,000 (605,000 households), another all-time high.

However, there is a stark age difference within single-person households. Driven by an aging population, single-person households in their 60s (up 3.4%), 70s (up 9.6%), and 80s or older (up 4.4%) all increased significantly, while those among people in their 20s or younger dropped by 2.6%. The growth rate for single-person households in their 30s is also reaching its limit. As a result, the overall year-on-year growth rate of single-person households (2.8%) is slowing compared to the past.

The average household size shrank to a record low of 2.16, down from 2.19 the previous year. Meanwhile, the nationwide housing stock growth rate (1.6%) hit its lowest level in four years, due to a recent decline in housing construction starts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.