population

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.

Population growth has continued to slow. After declining in 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the population increased 0.2% in 2023 and 0.1% in 2024. Growth slowed to 0.02% in 2025.

The number of South Korean nationals has fallen for five consecutive years since 2021, largely because of the country’s persistently low birth rate.

The foreign population rose 3.2% to 2.11 million, driven partly by increases in international students and seasonal workers. Foreign residents accounted for 4.1% of the total population.

Elderly population rises sharply

The number of people age 65 and older increased by 601,000, or 5.9%, to 10.723 million.

Older residents accounted for 20.7% of the population, exceeding the 20% threshold for the first time.

A country is generally classified as a super-aged society when at least 20% of its population is age 65 or older.

By comparison, the population age 14 and younger fell by 196,000 to 5.225 million, representing 10.1% of the total.

The number of older residents was more than twice the number of children.

South Korea’s working-age population, defined as people ages 15 to 64, decreased by 393,000 to 35.87 million.

The group accounted for 69.2% of the population, falling below 70% for the first time since the current census series began in 2015.

The decline could increase pressure on South Korea’s labor market, pension system and healthcare services as fewer working-age people support a growing elderly population.

People in their 50s were the country’s largest age group, accounting for 16.7% of the population. Those in their 60s represented 15.3%, followed by people in their 40s at 14.8%.

South Korea’s median age rose 0.6 year to 46.8.

Nearly 3 in 10 adults unmarried

The census also showed continuing changes in South Korea’s marriage patterns.

Of the country’s 43.234 million South Korean nationals age 18 or older, 12.789 million, or 29.6%, had never married.

The number of unmarried adults increased by 54,000, or 0.4%, from a year earlier.

The never-married rate among people in their 30s stood at 54.7%, meaning more than half of South Koreans in that age group had not married.

Among people in their 40s, the rate was 21.9%.

Seoul recorded the country’s highest never-married rate at 37.1%, while South Jeolla Province had the lowest at 22.2%.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260728010010244

Among coffee geeks, “pilgrimage” isn’t too strong a word to describe visiting the Collingwood neighborhood cafe owned by barista/roaster/industry visionary Nolan Hirte and his wife, Shari. Nolan was one of the leaders who built on Melbourne’s early coffee culture, established by Italian immigrants and their daily espresso habits in the mid-20th century. After Nolan took a tour of America’s burgeoning third-wave coffee shops in the mid-2000s, he returned to Melbourne determined to push the expressive possibilities of filter coffee even further.

At the cafe, the drink menu — whether drip, espresso drinks or pour-overs — includes flavor descriptions that can resemble wine-tasting notes, but there’s nothing fussy about the experience, or the easygoing breakfast and lunch options. Pour-over freaks looking for the highbrow deep dive should walk two blocks to Aunty Peg’s, the Hirtes’ laboratory/counter/roasting facility, for two or three rounds of Panamanian geishas.

Proud Mary —172 Oxford St., Collingwood
Aunty Peg’s — 200 Wellington St., Collingwood

June 15 (UPI) — The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, or KFCC, said Monday that it will provide AI-powered companion robots to elderly residents as South Korea faces the social challenges posed by rapid population aging.

The nationwide cooperative federation noted that a total of 200 robots will be supplied to senior citizens living alone, with the aim of dealing with social isolation.

The robots are designed to offer various support functions, including interactive conversations, medication reminders, and motion-detection capabilities. When emergencies arise, they can alert authorities and connect users with relevant services, according to KFCC.

Information collected by the robots can be shared with caregivers and social welfare workers to help track their health status and identify potential signs of social isolation, the cooperative said.

“The problem of social isolation among elderly people living alone is becoming more severe amid population aging and the growing number of single-person households,” KFCC said in a statement.

“We will continue our social contribution activities to help build warm and inclusive communities where no neighbor is left behind,” it added.

South Korea is one of the fastest-aging societies in the world. Data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety show that people aged 65 and older accounted for 21.21% of the population as of the end of last year. When the proportion surpasses the 20% mark, a country is classified as as uper-aged society.

Single-person households represented 36.1% of all households in the nation as of the end of 2024.

KFCC is not a publicly listed company.

NewsFeed

Swiss voters reject a proposed population cap that would cap the country’s population at 10 million. The plan, championed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, was supported by 45% of voters.