Population Aged 70 and Over Surpasses Those in Their 20s... Elementary School Enrollment Drops to Around 300,000 Students

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Announces Resident Registration Population Statistics

For the first time since the resident registration population statistics were compiled, the population aged 70 and over has surpassed the population in their 20s. Additionally, the number of elementary school entrants has fallen to the 300,000 range. As the working-age population continues to decline, a 'red light' has been lit for Korea's future growth.

According to the 'Resident Registration Population Statistics as of the End of 2023' released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 10th, the population aged 70 and over reached 6,319,402, surpassing the population in their 20s, which was 6,197,486.

Until 2022, the population aged 70 and over (about 6.08 million) had not reached the population in their 20s (about 6.41 million). However, last year, the population aged 70 and over increased by about 230,000 compared to the previous year, while the population in their 20s decreased by about 220,000, resulting in this reversal for the first time.

The 'elderly population' aged 65 and over also increased by about 460,000 from the previous year to 9.73 million last year, accounting for 19.0% of the total population. The ratio of the elderly population to the total population has been rising annually: 13.2% in 2015, 16.4% in 2020, and 18.0% in 2022. The United Nations (UN) classifies societies as aging if the population aged 65 and over exceeds 7%, aged society if over 14%, and super-aged society if over 20%. Korea is expected to enter a super-aged society next year.

According to the statistics, among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, eight have already entered a super-aged society. Chungbuk and Gyeongnam were included in the super-aged society last year. The remaining eight, including Daegu, Seoul, Jeju, and Daejeon, were classified as aged societies. Sejong was the only region with an elderly population ratio of 11.0%, below the aged society threshold (14%), thus classified as an aging society.

Along with low birth rates and aging, population decline continues. Last year, Korea's resident registration population was about 51.32 million, a decrease of 0.22% (about 113,000) from the previous year. By gender, the male population (about 25.56 million) has decreased for five consecutive years, and the female population (about 25.75 million) for three consecutive years.

Looking at 226 cities, counties, and districts, 45 areas, including Gangnam-gu in Seoul, Hwaseong-si in Gyeonggi, and Gangjin-gun in Jeonnam, saw an increase in births (registrations) compared to 2022.

During the same period, 178 areas, including Yongin-si, Suwon-si, and Seongnam-si in Gyeonggi, experienced a decrease in births. The population of 6-year-olds expected to enter elementary school was 364,740, falling into the 300,000 range for the first time since statistics began.

The working-age population (ages 15?64) was about 35.93 million, a decrease of 0.96% (about 350,000) from the previous year. The core working-age population (ages 25?49) also decreased by 1.45% (about 263,000) to about 17.9 million. The proportions of the working-age population and core working-age population within the total resident registration population are 70.0% and 34.9%, respectively.

Yeo Jung-hyeop, Director of the Local Autonomy Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We are considering ways to increase population inflow and birth rates in regions where population decline is intensifying," adding, "We will analyze this data carefully and reflect it in policy."