Why are older-adult households becoming a bigger part of South Korea’s households?

There were 6.5 million households headed by people aged 65 and older, and 38 percent of them were single-person households. The share of senior-led households has been increasing since 2015 and is forecast to keep rising.

1 in 5 Koreans aged 65 and older in 2026: data

Q: How many people in South Korea were aged 65 and older in 2026?

The elderly population stood at 11.12 million in 2026, accounting for 21.6 percent of the country’s 51.6 million population. That put South Korea in the super-aged society category.

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Summary

People aged 65 and older made up 21.6 percent of South Korea’s population in 2026, making the country a super-aged society. The number of elderly people reached 11.12 million, and older-adult households accounted for 28.8 percent of all households. The Ministry of Data and Statistics said the elderly share will rise further in coming decades.

Key Facts

The Ministry of Data and Statistics said the elderly population reached 11.12 million in 2026, out of a total population of 51.6 million.
Households headed by older adults numbered 6.5 million, or 28.8 percent of all households, and 38 percent of those households were single-person households.
The average remaining life expectancy at age 65 was estimated at 21.7 years in 2024, with 19.5 years for men and 23.7 years for women.
The employment rate for people aged 65 and older was 39.5 percent in 2025, up 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier.
The ministry said the elderly share is projected to rise to 30 percent in 2036 and over 40 percent in 2050, while senior-headed households are forecast to reach 50.6 percent in 2052.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 1, 2026 12:41 pm KST
Updated Oct 1, 2026 5:09 pm KST

Older adults look at a job board during the 11th Suwon City Senior Citizens Job Fair in Suwon, June 21, 2022. Yonhap

People aged 65 and older took up over 20 percent of Korea's population this year amid rapid aging and the ultralow birthrate, data showed Thursday.

The number of elderly people stood at 11.12 million in 2026, accounting for 21.6 percent of the country's 51.6 million population, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The proportion makes Korea a "super-aged society," and is to rise further to 30 percent in 2036 and over 40 percent in 2050, according to the ministry.

The number of households headed by older adults came to 6.5 million, accounting for 28.8 percent of all households in the country.

Of the 6.5 million households, 38 percent were single-person households, which has been increasing since 2015.

Households led by seniors are forecast to rise further to account for 50.6 percent of the total households in the country in 2052.

The remaining life expectancy for those aged 65 was estimated at 21.7 years on average as of 2024, with the figure for men coming to 19.5 years and 23.7 years for women.

The net assets of households headed by seniors came to 493 million won ($363,000) on average in 2025, and 91.2 percent of the total elderly population received the state pension in 2024.

The employment rate among those aged 65 and older came to 39.5 percent in 2025, up 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier, and their employment rate has been on an increase since 2015.

Of those aged 65-79, 58.7 percent said they want to work in the future, and half of them cited financial issues as a reason, followed by 38.7 percent pointing to joy in work.

Asked about their quality of life, 33.7 percent of the senior citizens said they are "satisfied" with their current life in 2025, down 1.8 percentage points from a year earlier, and 29 percent said they felt proud of their social and economic achievements.

Korea is facing grim demographic challenges as many young people opt to postpone or give up on getting married or having babies in line with changing social norms and lifestyles, as well as the tough job market and rising home prices.

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