9 in 100 Couples Are in "Multicultural Marriages"... Early Divorce Rate Twice That of Korean Couples

Last year, 9 out of every 100 couples who married were multicultural couples. Multicultural marriages and births both declined, as the base effect from previous years coincided with a decrease in the number of naturalized citizens. More than one in three couples divorced before their fifth wedding anniversary, making the rate of early marital breakdown more than twice that of Korean couples. The share of births that were third or higher-order children in multicultural families also continued to decline for the third consecutive year.

A multicultural family attending the “Welcome Event for Parents of Multicultural Families” at the Aviation Training Center of Incheon International Airport Corporation in Jung-gu, Incheon, on the 16th watches a traditional performance. 2025.10.16 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Multicultural Marriages Edge Down to 21,399; Husbands at Least 10 Years Older in 36.1%

According to the 2025 Multicultural Population Dynamics report released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on November 5, there were 21,399 multicultural marriages last year, down 51 cases (0.2%) from the previous year. While the total number of marriages rose 8.1% to 240,000 over the same period, multicultural marriages declined. As a result, their share of all marriages fell 0.7 percentage points from the previous year to 8.9%, or about 9 out of every 100 couples who married. An official from the ministry explained, "Marriages to foreign spouses increased, but marriages involving naturalized citizens declined, largely due to the sharp decrease in the number of naturalized citizens in 2021-2022. The base effect from the increase in multicultural marriages in 2023-2024 also played a role."

By type, marriages to foreign wives accounted for the overwhelming majority, at 15,287 (71.4%), followed by marriages to foreign husbands (4,036, 18.9%) and marriages involving naturalized citizens (2,076, 9.7%). The most common countries of origin for wives were Vietnam (25.3%), China (15.1%), and Thailand (9.2%); for husbands, they were the United States (6.8%), China (5.6%), and Vietnam (3.6%).

By age, husbands aged 45 or older accounted for the largest share of multicultural husbands, at 31.8%. Multicultural wives were concentrated in their late 20s (22.9%) and early 30s (22.8%). The average age at first marriage was 37.1 for husbands and 29.7 for wives, unchanged from the previous year, with an age gap of 7.3 years. In particular, couples in which the husband was at least 10 years older accounted for 36.1%, more than 13 times the share among couples in which both spouses were Korean by birth (2.7%).

Multicultural Divorces Rise 1.4%; One in Three Couples Split Before Their Fifth Anniversary

There were 8,104 multicultural divorces, up 1.4% from the previous year. This contrasted with a 3.3% decline in total divorces, to 88,000. Accordingly, multicultural divorces accounted for 9.2% of all divorces, an increase of 0.4 percentage points. By type, divorces involving foreign wives were the most common (52.6%), followed by those involving naturalized citizens (31.7%) and foreign husbands (15.7%).

The average duration of marriage before divorce was 10.2 years, down 0.1 years. By duration, divorces within five years of marriage were the most common, at 33.4%, followed by those after five to less than 10 years (21.3%) and after 10 to less than 15 years (17.9%). The share of divorces within five years of marriage was 2.3 times the rate among couples in which both spouses were Korean by birth (14.6%).

The average age at divorce was 50.7 for husbands and 41.6 for wives. Minor children were involved in 35.2% of divorces among multicultural couples, lower than the 43.9% rate among Korean couples. China was the most common country of origin for divorced foreign and naturalized spouses of both sexes (12.5% of husbands and 29.6% of wives).

Births Fall 0.5% to 13,347; Share of Third or Higher-Order Births Declines for Third Straight Year

There were 13,347 births in multicultural families last year, down 0.5% from the previous year. While total births rose 6.7% to 254,000, births in multicultural families declined. As a result, their share of all births fell 0.4 percentage points to 5.2%.

By birth order, first children accounted for 60.2%, second children for 27.0%, and third or higher-order children for 12.9%. The share of third or higher-order births in multicultural families (12.9%) was still 6.9 percentage points higher than in families with Korean parents, indicating a stronger tendency to have multiple children. However, the share has declined for three consecutive years, from 13.8% in 2023 to 13.7% in 2024 and 12.9% last year.

An official from the ministry noted, "Multicultural families tend to have more third or higher-order children than families with Korean parents. However, the number of third or higher-order births in multicultural families is also trending down as marriages to Vietnamese and Chinese women, who have contributed significantly to childbirth, decline."

By region, the number of births in multicultural families was concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, with the highest figures in Gyeonggi (3,910), Seoul (2,360), and Incheon (953). However, the share of all births accounted for by multicultural families was higher outside the metropolitan area, at 6.5% in both Jeonbuk and Chungnam and 6.3% in Gyeongbuk, while Sejong recorded the nation's lowest share at 2.7%. There were 3,257 deaths among members of multicultural families, up 3.9% from the previous year.

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