S. Korea's population slightly up in 2025 on immigration: census

South Korea's population slightly increased in 2025 from a year earlier despite low birth rates, driven by a rise in immigration, data showed Tuesday, with the share of foreigners reaching a record high.

The total population of Asia's fourth-largest economy came to 51.82 million in 2025, up 0.02 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The number of South Korean nationals fell 0.1 percent over the period to 49.71 million, accounting for 95.9 percent of the total population.

The census showed the number of foreigners in the country, on the other hand, rose 3.2 percent to 2.11 million, accounting for a record 4.1 percent of the population.

South Korea's median age reached 46.8, up 5.7 years from 2015, the data also showed, reflecting the country's aging demographics.

Seniors aged 65 and older accounted for 20.7 percent of the population, up from 11.2 percent in 2010 and 16 percent in 2020.

The working-age population, aged 15 to 64, came to 35.87 million, making up 69.2 percent of the total, continuing its steady decline since 2018, according to the minis ...