Korea's total population inches up in 2024 on foreign migrants: census
A job-seeker looks over a recruitment board at a job fair in central Seoul, July 10. Yonhap
Korea's total population inched up in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of gain, driven largely by a growing number of foreign residents, despite the country's continued rapid aging, government data showed Tuesday.
According to the latest census by Statistics Korea, the nation's population stood at 51.81 million as of Nov. 1, up 0.1 percent, or 30,000 people, from a year earlier.
It marked the second straight year of modest growth following two years of fall. South Korea saw its first-ever population decline in 2021 since the start of statistical records in 1949.
The total population is calculated based on childbirth and death data, as well as cross-border movements of foreigners residing in South Korea for more than three months.
Last year's growth came as the number of foreign residents jumped 5.6 percent on-year, or 110,000, to reach 2.04 million, as more people arrived here from overseas for jobs and other purposes following the extension of working visa programs, the agency said.
It is the first time the number of foreign residents has surpassed the 2 million mark.
By nationality, ethnic Koreans from China accounted for the largest share with 538,000, followed by Vietnamese at 285,000 and Chinese nationals at 223,000.
But the number of South Korean nationals fell 0.2 percent on-year to 49.76 million in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of drop.
The working-age population, or people aged 15-64, fell by 290,000 to 36.26 million.
They accounted for 70 percent of the total population, and the proportion has been on a constant decrease since 2018.
The number of South Koreans aged 65 and older came to 10.12 million in 2024, accounting for 19.5 percent of the total population, up from 18.6 percent a year earlier.
It marked the first time the senior population has surpassed the 10 million mark.
The senior index, which represents the number of those aged 65 and above per 100 people aged 14 and below, came to 186.7, up 15.7 from a year earlier.
The number of single-member households climbed 2.8 percent on-year to 8.04 million, and their proportion of the total households reached a record high of 36.1 percent, the data showed.