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🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

South Korea's Working-Age Population Drops Below 70%, Elderly Population Exceeds 20%

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • South Korea's working-age population (15-64) fell below 70% for the first time since 2015, while the elderly population (65+) exceeded 20%.
  • The total population saw a slight increase due to a rise in foreign residents, offsetting a decrease in the domestic population.
  • This demographic shift indicates a shrinking labor force, potentially impacting economic productivity and growth.

South Korea's demographic landscape is undergoing a significant shift, with the proportion of the working-age population (15-64) dropping below 70% for the first time since 2015. Concurrently, the elderly population aged 65 and above has surpassed 20% of the total population, marking a critical demographic milestone.

The proportion of the working-age population fell below 70% for the first time since 2015.

Stating the key demographic finding.

According to the '2025 Population and Housing Census Results' released by Statistics Korea, the nation's total population in the previous year was 51.817 million, a marginal increase of 12,000 people. This growth was primarily driven by an increase in foreign residents, which offset a slight decrease in the domestic population. The number of foreign nationals rose by 70,000 to 2.11 million, while the domestic population declined by 50,000.

The number of people aged 65 or older exceeded 20% of the total population for the first time.

Highlighting the increase in the elderly population.

The working-age population now stands at 35.87 million, constituting 69.2% of the total. A decline in this demographic group, responsible for economic activity, signals a potential reduction in the labor force, which could lead to decreased production and consumption, and ultimately lower the country's potential growth rate.

The working-age population's share has been continuously decreasing since peaking at 73.4% in 2015.

Providing historical context for the trend.

Conversely, the population aged 65 and over increased by 601,000 to 10.723 million, representing 20.7% of the total population. The youth population (0-14 years) saw a decrease of 196,000, reaching 5.225 million, or 10.1%. This resulted in an aging index of 205.2, meaning there are over 205 elderly individuals for every 100 children. Furthermore, the data revealed that over half of the population, 50.9%, resides in the Seoul metropolitan area, and single-person households now account for 36.6% of all households.

The aging index, representing the ratio of elderly to youth, recorded 205.2.

Illustrating the severity of population aging.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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