By You Soo-sun
Seoul’s population is not only shrinking in size, but also growing older, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
In the 2017 Seoul Statistical Yearbook released Dec. 6, its population in 2016 was tallied at 10.2 million, down 903,000 from the previous year. The average age was estimated at 41.1, up from 40.6 in 2005.
The ratio between the working population and the elderly rose from 9.4 percent in 2005 to 16.8 percent in 2016, meaning one working age adult is responsible for 16.8 elderly people.
The demographic shift comes from the simultaneous decline in the birthrate and increase in the population of the elderly, defined as those aged 65 and over.
On average, 206 babies are born in Seoul per day. In 2015, this number was 227; in 2001, it was 251.
The number of students has gone down too. The number of those between the ages of six and 21 was tallied at 1.5 million, significantly lower than five years ago, when the number was at 1.8 million.
By contrast, the elderly population rose to 1.3 million, an increase by 33,314 from the previous year. About one fifth of the population is living alone.
The rapidly aging population has in turn increased the burden for the working population. The working population, or those aged between 15 and 64, are the ones bearing the cost of caring for the young and the old.
While the share for children has gone down, the share for the elderly has gone up even more, according to the year book. For every 100 of those in their prime working age, there were 15.2 children under the age of 15 in 2016, down from 21.9 in 2005.
If this trend continues, the ratio is expected to rise up to 50 percent by 2039.
There is no one-size-fits-all remedy for problems posed by the aging population. However, many are calling on the need to save on the cost of welfare programs, such as by increasing the state pension age or by making the elderly pay for the use of public transportation.