Incheon Youth Population Decline Trend... 28.7% in 2022 → 16.8% in 2050

Youth Household Proportion 22.1%... 111,394 Youth Homeowners
Youth Population Marriage Rate: Males 17.2, Females 19.8

The proportion of young people in Incheon is decreasing every year and is expected to reach 16.8% of the total population by 2050.

According to the "2023 Incheon Youth Statistics" announced by Incheon City, as of November 2022, the youth population aged 18 to 39 in Incheon was 857,595 (52.5% male, 47.5% female), accounting for 28.7% of Incheon’s total population of 2,989,125. This is the 6th highest figure among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces.

However, the proportion of young people in Incheon has been decreasing annually, from 29.9% in 2020 to 29.2% in 2021 and 28.7% in 2022. It is estimated that by 2050, the youth population will account for 16.8% of the total population, a decrease of 13.1 percentage points compared to 2020.

Additionally, the proportion of youth households was 22.1%, ranking 7th among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces. Among general households, youth households with heads aged 18 to 39 numbered 268,614, with 62.2% male and 37.8% female heads. Among Incheon residents, 111,394 young people own homes, with the highest numbers in Seo-gu (23,029), Yeonsu-gu (17,321), and Bupyeong-gu (16,011), respectively.

2023 Incheon City Youth Statistics [Provided by Incheon City]

As of last year, Incheon’s total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime) was 0.75, the third lowest among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide. The age-specific fertility rate showed that women aged 30-34 had the highest rate at 67.9 births per 1,000 women in that age group, followed by 35-39 years at 43.1, and 25-29 years at 24.3.

The marriage rate among the youth population was 17.2 per 1,000 men and 19.8 per 1,000 women, with a decrease of 0.1 for men and 0.2 for women compared to the previous year. The divorce rate was 2.9 per 1,000 men and 4.2 per 1,000 women in the same age group, with the highest rates observed in the 35-39 age bracket for both genders.

In the same year, 175,326 young people moved into Incheon, exceeding the number of those who moved out, 163,811, by 11,515. The main reasons for moving in and out were jobs, family, and housing.

The number of employed youth in Incheon decreased from early 2020 to the end of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic but increased again afterward. In the second half of 2022, the economically active youth population in Incheon was 588,000, an increase of 33,000 (5.6%) compared to the same period the previous year. Additionally, the number of registered youth business owners last year was 121,690, up by 17,449 from the previous year, with men accounting for 57.4% and women 42.6%.

The number of youth insured under employment insurance decreased by 1,456 from the previous year to 231,947. By industry, manufacturing, health and social welfare services, and wholesale and retail trade were the top sectors. The number of job-seeking applications from youth was 119,255, with the 25-29 age group accounting for the largest share at 38,680. The most common desired monthly wage was between 2 million and 2.5 million KRW.

An official from Incheon City stated, "The published statistics will be used as data to develop tailored youth policies for Incheon," adding, "We plan to continue supplementing and publishing various indicators that fit the characteristics of the city."