National Data Office says foreign residents lift total population

The National Data Office said Monday its 2025 census results show South Korea's total population rose slightly to 51.82 million, up 10,000 from a year earlier, driven by an influx of foreign residents that offset a decline in Korean nationals.

The domestic population fell by 50,000 to 49.71 million due to natural decrease, while the foreign population grew by 70,000 to reach 2.11 million. Kyung Eun-sook, head of the Population Census Division at the National Data Office, said recent increases in international students and trainees, along with a rise in seasonal agricultural workers filling rural labor shortages, were the primary factors behind the shift.

International students accounted for the largest share of the foreign resident increase with 36,000, followed by 22,000 seasonal workers and 18,000 individuals on specific activity visas. The working-age population aged 15 to 64 continued its downward trend, dropping to 35.87 million, while the elderly population aged 65 and older rose to 10.72 million, pushing the aging index to 205.2.

Total households increased by 1.1 percent to 23.25 million, largely propelled by a surge in single-person homes. The number of one-person households rose by 200,000 to 8.24 million, representing 36.6 percent of all general households. Kyung noted that while households headed by people in their 60s and older saw significant growth, the rate of increase among those in their 20s slowed.

The average household size shrank to 2.16 members. Households consisting of relatives decreased to 60.7 percent of the total, while non-relative households and one-person setups expanded their share. Apartments remained the dominant housing type, accommodating 54.5 percent of all general households.

The total housing stock grew by 1.6 percent to 20.18 million units, though the pace of expansion has slowed compared to previous years. Incheon recorded the highest regional growth in housing at 2.9 percent. More than half of the nation's housing stock is now over 20 years old, with 30.6 percent exceeding 30 years in age.

Regional population trends showed a divergence, with the Seoul metropolitan area growing by 0.3 percent to house 26.38 million people, while provinces in the Yeongnam and Honam regions saw declines. Notably, 23 out of 89 designated population-declining regions managed to post growth, including Sinan County, which saw an increase in its teenage population attributed to local renewable energy benefit-sharing programs.

The agency compiled these figures using register-based methods that link administrative data from resident registration, building ledgers, and school records rather than traditional field surveys. Detailed sample survey results covering education, commuting, and childcare characteristics are scheduled for release in late November 2026.