Elderly people line up to receive free meals outside the Tapgol Park in Seoul, South Korea, 10 July 2026. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the proportion of Seoul's 9.3 million residents aged 65 or older has exceeded 20 percent, and it is projected that one in three Seoul residents will be 65 or older by 2040. JEON HEON-KYUN/ EPA
July 28 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's elderly population exceeded 20% of the country's total population for the first time in 2025, while the share of working-age residents fell below 70%, government data showed Tuesday.
The figures illustrate the accelerating transformation of South Korea's population as low birth rates and rapid aging reduce the number of children and economically active adults.
South Korea's total population stood at 51.817 million as of Nov. 1, up 12,000, or 0.02%, from a year earlier, according to the 2025 Population and Housing Census released by the National Data Agency.
The number of South Korean nationals declined by 50,000, but the foreign population increased by 70,000, preventing the country's total population from falling.
