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Tue, December 5, 2023 | 04:07
Elderly people outnumber children in Seoul
'늙어가는 서울'…노인 인구, 유소년 인구 첫 추월
Posted : 2015-05-07 15:43
Updated : 2015-05-07 19:40
Kim Rahn
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By Kim Rahn

Senior citizens in Seoul have outnumbered children for the first time, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday.

As of April 30, there were 1,234,181 people 65 or over in the capital, slightly surpassing the number of children under 15 ― 1,232,194.

The aging index, the ratio of elderly people to children, recorded 100.4, exceeding 100 for the first time.

"The higher index means the number of elderly citizens is increasing more than the younger generation, which will be the working-age population needed to support them," a city official said.

The index in Seoul was 21.8 in 1996, but rose to 90 in 2013, 97.3 in 2014 and 100.4 this year.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul's index was 36.2 in 2003, lower than the nation's average of 41.3. But it has risen rapidly, surpassing the average this year, 92.2.

"Seoul's elderly population increased by some 20,600 for the first four months of this year, while the child population decreased by about 18,600 during the same period," the official said.

With the aging population, Seoul's citizens' average age was 40.2 as of April. In the case of Euljiro-dong, in downtown Seoul, residents were 51 on average, making it the only district where the average age was over 50.

"Seoul's birthrate is among the lowest in the country, while the elderly population here is growing by 60,000 every year,"the official said. "If the trend continues, Seoul will become an aged society by 2018 where the elderly take up more than 14 percent of the total population."


'늙어가는 서울'…노인 인구, 유소년 인구 첫 추월

평균연령 40.2세로 '중년' 진입…2018년 고령사회 진입 예상

인구 노령화가 급속도로 진행되면서 서울의 65세 이상 노인인구가 처음으로 유소년 인구보다 많아진 것으로 나타났다.

7일 서울시 등에 따르면 4월 현재 65세 이상 서울 인구는 123만 7천181명으로, 15세 미만 유소년 인구 123만 2천194명보다 4천987명 많았다.

이에 따라 15세 미만 유소년 인구에 대한 65세 이상 노령인구 비율을 나타내는 노령화지수는 100.4를 기록해 처음으로 100을 넘어섰다.

노령화지수가 높아진다는 것은 앞으로 생산 가능 연령에 들어가는 인구에 비해 부양해야 할 노인 인구가 상대적으로 많아진다는 의미다.

서울의 노령화지수는 1996년 21.8 수준이었으나 매년 꾸준히 높아져 2013년 90.0, 2014년 97.3을 기록한데 이어 올해 4월 처음으로 100을 돌파했다.

보건복지부 통계 등에 따르면 서울시의 노령화지수는 2003년 36.2로 전국 평균 41.3보다 낮았다. 그러나 올해 4월에는 전국 평균 92.2를 웃도는 등 노령화지수가 급속도로 높아지고 있다.

노령화지수가 급속도로 높아진 것은 신생아 출생 속도가 노인 인구 증가 속도를 따라가지 못하기 때문으로 분석된다.

서울의 노인 인구는 2014년 말 121만 6천529명이었으나 올해 들어 4개월 동안 2만 652명 늘어났다. 반면 유소년 인구는 2014년 말 125만 859명을 기록했으나 4개월간 오히려 1만 8천665명 감소했다.

노령화가 진행되면서 서울시내 인구의 평균 연령도 지난해 말 처음으로 40세를 넘어 '중년'에 진입했다.

지난달 현재 서울시내 주민등록인구의 평균 인구는 40.2세였다. 서울 중구 을지로동의 경우 주민 평균 연령이 51세로 서울시내에서 유일하게 평균 연령이 50세를 넘었다.

서울시 관계자는 '전국적으로 서울시의 출생률이 가장 떨어지는 반면 노인 인구는 매년 6만여 명씩 증가하고 있다'며 '이런 추세대로라면 서울은 2018년 인구 중 65세 이상 비율이 14% 이상인 고령사회에 진입할 것으로 보인다'고 말했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailrahnita@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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